'^''^^^^^^^^^•^..^^^ 


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llruyfje/rj^'^^ A^  ^o/t^rtuo' 


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THE  UNKNOWN  LIFE  OF  JESUS  CHRIST. 


The  Unknown  Life 


OF 


JESUS  CHRIST 


Bv  the  Discoverer  of  the  Manuscript 

NICOLAS  NOTOVITCH 


Translated  from  the  French  by 

ALEXINA  LORANGER 

FOURTH  EDITION 
1916 

INDO-AMERICAN  BOOK  COMPANY 

(Not  Inc.) 

5705  SOUTH  BOULEVARD 

CHICAGO 

ILL. 


"5T  no 


Copyright  1894  by 

INDO-AMERICAN  BOOK  COMPANY 

Chicago      Illinois     U.  S.  A. 


The  Unxiiown  Life  of  Jesus  Christ 
imHRV  MORSE  STSTPHfiHS 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

Preface, 7 

A  JouRi^^EY  TO  Thibet, 13 

The  Ladak, 62 

A  Feast  in  a  Gonpa, 76 

The  Life  of  Saikt  Issa, 98 

Epitome, 147 

Explanatory  Notes, 184 


? 11029 


PREFACE. 

AFTEE  the  close  of  the  Turko-Kussian  War  (1877- 
1878)  I  undertook  a  series  of  extended  jour- 
neys through  the  Orient.  Having  visited  all  points 
of  interest  in  the  Balkan  Peninsula,  I  crossed  the 
Caucasian  Mountains  into  Central  Asia  and  Persia,  and 
finally,  in  1887,  made  an  excursion  into  India,  the  most 
admired  country  of  the  dreams  of  my  childhood. 

The  first  object  of  this  journey  was  to  study  the 
customs  and  habits  of  the  inhabitants  of  India  amid 
their  own  surroundings,  as  well  as  the  grand,  myste- 
rious archaeology  and  the  colossal,  majestic  nature  of 
the  country.  Wandering  without  any  settled  course 
from  one  locality  to  another,  I  at  last  came  to  mount- 
ainous Afghanistan,  whence  I  reached  India  through  the 
picturesque  passes  of  Bolan  and  Guernal.  I  then  fol- 
lowed the  Indus  to  Eawal-Pindi,  traveled  through  the 
Punjab  —  the  country  of  five  rivers  —  visited  the 
golden  temple  of  Amritsir,  the  tomb  of  Eandjid  Singh, 
king  of  the  Punjab,  near  Lahore,  and  proceeded 
toward  Kashmir,  the  ^^vale  of  eternal  happiness.  ^^ 
There  I  began  my  peregrinations  as  fancy  or  curiosity 

(7) 


8  PREFACE. 

guided  or  dictated,  until  I  reached  the  Ladak,  where  I 
intended  to  make  a  somewhat  lengthy  stay  before 
returning  to  Eussia  through  Eastern  Turkestan  and 
Karakorum. 

In  the  course  of  one  of  my  visits  to  a  Buddhist  con- 
vent, I  learned  from  the  chief  Lama  that  there  existed 
very  ancient  memoirs,  treating  of  the  life  of  Christ  and 
of  the  nations  of  the  Occident,  in  the  archives  of 
Lassa,  and  that  a  few  of  the  larger  monasteries  pos- 
sessed copies  and  translations  of  these  precious 
chronicles. 

There  being  little  probability  of  my  early  return  to 
this  country,  I  resolved  to  delay  my  departure  for 
Europe,  and  verify  these  assertions  by  seeing  some  of 
these  copies,  even  though  I  were  obliged  to  invade 
every  convent  as  far  as  Lassa  —  a  journey  far  less 
perilous  and  difficult  to  accomplish  than  we  are  usually 
led  to  believe.  Besides  this,  I  was  now  so  well  accus- 
tomed to  the  dangers  encountered  by  the  traveler  in 
those  regions  that  they  no  longer  possessed  any  terrors 
for  me. 

During  my  sojourn  in  Leh,  the  capital  of  Ladak,  I 
visited  Himis,  a  large  convent  in  the  outskirts  of  the 
city,  where  I  was  informed  by  the  Lama  that  the 
monastic  libraries  contained  a  few  copies  of  the  manu- 
Bcript  in  question. 


PREFACE.  9 

That  I  might  not  arouse  the  suspicions  of  the  author- 
ities in  regard  to  the  object  of  my  visit  to  the  convent, 
and  raise  no  obstacles  to  a  subsequent  journey  into 
Thibet  —  as  a  Russian  —  on  my  return  to  Leh  I  an- 
nounced my  immediate  departure  for  India,  and  again 
left  the  capital  of  Ladak. 

An  unfortunate  accident,  whereby  my  leg  was  fract- 
ured, furnished  me  with  a  totally  unexpected  pretext 
to  enter  the  monastery,  where  I  received  excellent  care 
and  nursing;  and  I  took  advantage  of  my  short  stay 
among  these  monks  to  obtain  the  privilege  of  seeing  the 
manuscripts  relating  to  Christ.  With  the  aid  of  my 
interpreter,  who  translated  from  the  Thibetan  tongue, 
I  carefully  transcribed  the  verses  as  they  were  read  by 
the  Lama. 

Entertaining  no  doubt  of  the  authenticity  of  this 
narrative,  written  with  the  utmost  precision  by  Brahmin 
historians  and  Buddhists  of  India  and  Nepal,  my  inten- 
tion was  to  publish  the  translation  on  my  return  to 
Europe.  With  this  object  in  view,  I  addressed  myself 
to  several  well-known  ecclesiastics,  requesting  them  to 
revise  my  notes  and  tell  me  what  they  thought  of  the 
matter. 

Monseigneur  Platon,  the  celebrated  archbishop  of 
Kiew,  believed  my  discovery  to  be  of  great  importance; 
but  he  earnestly  tried   to  dissuade   me    from   giving 


10  PEEFAOE. 

the  memoirs  publicity,  declaring  it  would  be  against 
my  own  interests  to  do  so. 

Why?  This  the  venerable  prelate  refused  to  explain. 
Our  conversation,  however,  having  taken  place  in 
Russia,  where  censorship  would  have  placed  its  veto 
on  a  work  of  this  kind,  I  determined  to  wait. 

A  year  later  I  chanced  to  be  in  Rome.  Here  I  sub- 
mitted the  manuscript  to  a  cardinal  standing  high  in 
the  estimation  of  the  Holy  Father. 

^^  Why  should  you  print  this?^^  he  said,  didactically; 
^^  nobody  will  attach  much  importance  to  it,  and  you 
will  create  numberless  enemies  thereby.  You  are  still 
young,  however.  If  you  need  money,  I  can  obtain 
some  compensation  for  these  notes,  enough  to  remu- 
nerate you  for  your  loss  of  time  and  expenditure.^^ 
Naturally  enough,  I  refused  the  offer. 

In  Paris  I  laid  my  project  before  Cardinal  Rotelli, 
whom  I  had  met  in  Constantinople.  He  also  opposed 
the  publication  of  my  work,  under  pretext  that  it 
would  be  premature.  '^The  church,^''  he  added, 
^'suffers  too  deeply  from  this  new  current  of  atheistic 
ideas;  and  you  would  only  furnish  new  food  to  the 
calumniators  and  detractors  of  the  evangelical  doctrine. 
I  tell  you  this  in  the  interest  of  all  Christian  churches.  ^^ 

I  then  called  on  M.  Jules  Simon,  who  found  my 
communication  most  interesting,  and  advised  me  to 


PREFACE.  11 

consult  M.  lienan  in  regard  to  the  best  means  of  pub- 
lishing these  memoirs. 

The  very  next  day  I  found  myself  seated  in  the 
study  of  the  great  philosopher.  At  the  end  of  the 
interview  M.  Eenan  proposed  that  I  should  intrust  him 
with  the  memoirs  in  question,  that  he  might  make  a 
report  on  them  to  the  Academy.  This  proposition,  as 
the  reader  will  understand,  was  most  seductive  and 
flattering;  yet  I  took  away  the  work  with  me,  saying  I 
wished  to  revise  it  once  more — the  fact  being  that  I 
feared  if  I  accepted  this  association  I  would  only 
receive  the  bare  honor  of  discovering  the  chronicles, 
while  the  illustrious  author  of  the  ^'  Life  of  Jesus  ■' 
would  reap  the  glory  of  the  publication  and  of  the 
commentaries.  Believing  myself  sufficiently  prepared 
to  publish  the  narrative  by  adding  my  own  notes,  I 
finally  declined  the  courteous  offer  made  to  me.  That 
I  might  not,  however,  wound  the  feelings  of  the  great 
master,  whom  I  deeply  respected,  I  resolved  to  await 
his  death,  which  could  not  be  far  off,  judging  from  his 
feebleness.  Soon  after  the  death  of  M.  Eenan,  I  wrote 
to  M.  Jules  Simon,  and  again  sought  his  advice.  His 
reply  was  that  I  should  judge  for  myself  of  the  expe- 
diency of  giving  publicity  to  the  memoirs. 

I  therefore  prepared  my  notes,  and  now  publish 
them,  reserving  the  right  to  attest  the  authenticity  of 


12  PREFACE. 

these  chronicles.  In  my  commentaries  I  carefully 
develop  the  arguments  which  prove  the  good  faith  and 
sincerity  of  the  Buddhist  compilers.  It  only  remains 
for  me  to  add  that  before  criticising  my  work  scientific 
societies  can,  without  much  expense,  organize  an  expe- 
dition whose  mission  it  will  be  to  study  these  manu- 
scripts in  the  locality  in  which  they  are  to  be  found, 
and  thus  verify  their  historical  value. 

Nicolas  Notovitch. 

P.  S. —  In  the  course  of  my  travels  I  took  many 
curious  photographs,  but  when  I  came  to  examine  the 
negatives  on  my  return  to  India  I  was  dismayed  to  find 
that  they  were  absolutely  destroyed. 


The  Unknown  Life  of  Jesus  Christ. 


A  JOURNEY  TO  THIBET. 

DURING-  my  sojourn  in  India,  I  found  many 
opportunities  to  mingle  and  converse  with 
the  Buddhists;  and  so  thoroughly  was  my 
curiosity  excited  by  their  accounts  of  Thibet  that 
I  resolved  to  immediately  undertake  a  journey  to 
that  almost  unknown  country.  With  this  view, 
I  chose  a  route  extending  through  Kashmir,  a 
country  I  had  often  desired  to  explore. 

On  October  14,  1887,  I  took  my  place  in  the 
compartment  of  a  railway  train  literally  filled 
with  soldiers,  and  traveled  from  Lahore  to  Rawal- 
pindi, reaching  the  latter  place  at  noon  the  fol- 
lowing day.  Having  recovered  from  the  fatigues 
of  the  journey  and  visited  the  city,  which,  owing 
to  its  permanent  garrison,  presents  the  appear- 
ance of  a  war  camp,  I  turned  my  attention  to  the 
purchase  of  such  articles  as  are  necessary  on  a 
journey  where  railways  are  unknown,  and  horses 
furnish  the  only  means  of  conveyance.  With  the 
aid  of  my  negro  servant,  Pondichery,  I  packed 


14  UNKNOWN   LIFE    OF   CHRIST. 

my  luggage,  procured  a  tonga  (a  two-wheeled 
vehicle  drawn  by  a  pair  of  horses),  and,  having 
made  myself  as  comfortable  as  circumstances 
would  permit  on  the  rear  seat,  began  my  journey 
over  the  j)icturesque  route  leading  to  Kashmir. 

Our  tonga  was  soon  rolling  rapidly  along  the 
magnificent  road,  though  no  little  dexterity  was 
required  in  going  through  a  large  caravan  of  sol- 
diers belonging  to  a  detachment  traveling  from 
the  camp  into  the  city,  with  their  cumbersome 
luggage  loaded  on  the  backs  of  camels.  Soon  we 
came  to  the  end  of  the  Punjab  Valley,  and  turn- 
ing into  a  sinuous  path  began  to  climb  the  Outer 
Himalayan  Range.  The  acclivity  became  more 
and  more  abrupt  as  we  ascended,  while  the  mag- 
nificent panorama  stretching  away  beneath  our 
feet  grew  less  and  less  distinct.  The  last  rays  of 
the  setting  sun  were  gilding  the  summit  of  the 
mountains  as  our  tonga  gaily  emerged  from  the 
winding  road  on  the  crest  of  the  mountain,  below 
which  nestles  the  pretty  little  town  of  Murree,  a 
summer  resort  much  in  favor  with  the  families  of 
English  officials,  on  account  of  its  shade  and 
comparative  coolness. 

The  journey  from  Murree  to  Serinagur  may  be 
accomplished  by  tonga;  but  at  the  approach  of 
winter,  when  all  Europeans  desert  Kashmir,  the 
tonga  service  is  suspended.     Having  undertaken. 


A  JOURNEY  TO   THIBET.  16 

my  journey  near  the  end  of  the  warm  season,  I 
greatly  astonished  the  English  tourists  whom  I 
met  on  their  way  back  to  India;  but  their  efforts 
to  discover  the  object  of  my  journey  remained 
fruitless. 

The  roadway  not  being  entirely  constructed 
yet,  I  was  obliged,  not  without  considerable  dilE- 
culty,  however,  to  hire  saddle-horses.  Night  had 
already  fallen  when  we  started  on  our  descent 
from  Murree,  which  stands  at  an  altitude  of  five 
thousand  feet.  The  road  was  dark,  and  deeply 
rutted  by  recent  rains,  and  the  journey  was  any- 
thing but  cheerful,  as  the  horses  faithfully  plod- 
ded along,  guided  by  instinct  rather  than  sight. 
As  night  deepened,  rain  began  to  fall  in  torrents; 
and  the  shadows  cast  by  the  century  oaks  sur- 
rounding us  shrouded  us  in  impenetrable  dark- 
ness. Fearing  that  we  might  stray  apart  and  get 
lost,  we  kept  up  a  continual  shouting  as  we  rode 
on.  Above  us  we  knew,  though  we  could  not 
pierce  the  thick  gloom,  that  gigantic  masses  of 
rock  overhung  the  path,  while  to  the  left  a  rush- 
ing torrent  thundered  down  over  a  precipice 
hidden  by  the  trees. 

We  had  waded  through  the  thick  mud  for  more 
than  two  hours,  chilled  to  the  bones  by  the  icy 
rain,  when  the  distant  light  of  a  fire  at  last 
appeared  to  revive  our  strength.     But,  alas!  how 


16  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF   CHRIST. 

very  deceiving  such  lights  prove  in  the  wilderness 
of  the  mountain!  One  moment  it  seems  almost 
within  reach  of  your  hand,  but  suddenly  disap- 
pears, to  reappear,  sometimes  at  your  left,  then 
at  your  right,  sometimes  above,  then  below  you, 
as  if  it  took  pleasure  in  tantalizing  the  weary 
traveler.  Meanwhile,  the  road  makes  a  thousand 
turns,  zigzagging  in  every  direction,  while  the 
motionless  fire  seems  animated  with  perpetual 
motion,  the  obscurity  being  so  dense  that  we  fail 
to  see  the  continual  changes  in  the  direction  of 
the  road. 

I  had  regretfully  abandoned  all  hope  of  ever 
reaching  this  so  earnestly  longed-for  fire,  when  it 
suddenly  reappeared  so  close  to  us  that  the 
horses  involuntarily  stopped  short. 

Here  I  must  pause  to  express  my  gratitude 
and  offer  my  sincere  thanks  to  the  English  for 
their  kind  thoughtfulness  in  erecting  along  the 
roads  a  number  of  small  bungalows,  in  which  the 
weary  traveler  is  glad  to  find  shelter  and  rest. 
These  isolated  inns  possess  little  comfort,  it  is 
true,  but  the  exhausted  pilgrim  does  not  even 
notice  the  lack  of  luxuries,  so  delighted  is  he  to 
find  a  clean  dry  room  in  which  to  stretch  his 
tired  limbs. 

The  Hindoos  evidently  did  not  expect  travelers 
at  that  advanced  hour  of  the  night  and  at  that 


A  JOURNEY  TO  THIBET.  17 

season,  for  they  had  carried  away  the  keys,  and 
we  were  compelled  to  force  open  the  door  of  the 
bungalow. 

I  immediately  threw  myself  on  the  bed,  which 
consisted  of  one  pillow  and  a  piece  of  wet  carpet, 
and  was  soon  buried  in  slumber.  At  dawn,  after 
partaking  of  tea  and  a  little  food,  we  resumed  our 
way  under  a  scorching  sun.  Now  and  then  we 
passed  through  a  village,  standing  in  some  mag- 
nificent defile,  or  along  the  winding  path  that 
penetrated  into  the  very  bosom  of  the  mountains, 
until  we  finally  reached  the  Jhelum,  whose 
sparkling  waters  flow  gracefully  over  a  rocky 
bed,  and  whose  course  is  confined  within  a 
picturesque  gorge  that  sometimes  rises  almost  to 
the  azure  vault  of  the  Himalayan  heavens  — 
heavens  wonderfully  pure  and  serene  in  this 
region. 

At  noon  we  reached  a  hamlet  called  Tongua, 
where  the  houses  are  strung  along  the  river-bank 
and  appear  like  so  many  boxes  with  fa§ade  open- 
ings. Cosmetics  and  all  kinds  of  merchandise  are 
retailed.  The  place  literally  swarms  with  Hindoos, 
each  bearing  on  his  brow  the  diversely  colored 
mark  of  his  particular  caste.  Here,  too,  is  seen 
the  dignified  Kashmirian,  clad  in  a  long  white 
tunic  and  an  equally  snowy  turban. 

In  consideration  of  a  good  round  sum  of  money^ 


18  UNKNOWN   LIFE  OF  CHRIST. 

I  procured  the  loan  of  a  Hindoo  cabriolet  from  a 
Kashmirian.  This  equipage  is  so  constructed 
that  one  must  sit  with  crossed  legs,  or  Turkish 
fashion,  while  the  seat  is  so  small  that  it  will 
barely  accommodate  two  persons.  The  absence 
of  a  ba(*/k,  moreover,  renders  this  mode  of  loco- 
motion extremely  dangerous.  Such  was  my 
anxiety  to  reach  the  end  of  my  journey,  how- 
ever, that  I  unhesitatingly  climbed  on  this  circu- 
lar table  —  so  awkwardly  perched  on  two  wheels 
and  drawn  by  a  single  horse  —  rather  than  delay 
my  departure  one  unnecessary  day. 

But  I  had  barely  gone  a  half -kilometer  when  I 
seriously  began  to  regret  my  saddle-horse,  so 
fatiguing  and  difficult  did  I  find  it  to  keep 
my  legs  crossed  and  maintain  my  equilibrium. 
Unfortunately,  it  was  too  late  to  turn  back. 

Night  had  fallen  when  I  arrived  at  Horis, 
exhausted  with  fatigue  and  bruised  by  the  jolt- 
ing, my  limbs  feeling  as  though  they  were  the 
central  point  of  attack  from  millions  of  ants,  and 
too  utterly  wretched  to  enjoy  the  picturesque 
scenery  opening  before  our  eyes  as  we  advanced 
along  the  Jhelum,  on  the  banks  of  which  arises 
a  chain  of  wooded  mountains  on  one  side,  while 
the  other  is  bordered  by  a  rocky  precipice. 

At  Horis  I  met  a  caravan  of  pilgrims  on  their 
way  from  Mecca.     Imagining  that  I  was  a  physi- 


A   JOURNEY   TO   THIBET.  19 

cian,  and  hearing  of  my  hurry  to  reach  the 
Ladak,  they  begged  me  to  join  them,  which  I 
promised  to  do  after  reaching  Serinagur. 

I  left  the  village  on  horseback  at  dawn,  after  a 
night  spent  seated  upright  on  my  bed,  holding 
a  lighted  torch  in  my  hand,  and  not  daring  to 
close  my  eyes,  lest  I  should  be  stung  by  the 
myriads  of  scorpions  and  centipedes  which  in- 
fested the  bungalows.  Though  heartily  ashamed 
of  the  terror  inspired  in  me  by  those  insects,  I 
could  not  sufficiently  overcome  it  to  compose 
myself  to  sleep. 

Who  can  point  out  the  dividing-line  between 
courage  and  cowardice  ?  Who  can  say  where  the 
one  begins  and  the  other  ends  ? 

I  make  no  boast  of  bravery,  but  I  am  not 
a  coward.  And  yet,  the  insurmountable  fear 
aroused  in  me  by  that  species  of  small  animals 
totally  banished  sleep  from  my  eyes  in  spite  of 
my  extreme  fatigue. 

As  our  horses  slowly  advanced  through  the  flat 
valley,  with  the  sun  beaming  warmly  on  us  from 
over  the  mountains,  I  gradually  fell  asleep  in 
the  saddle.  I  was  suddenly  aroused  by  a  chilly 
breeze  some  time  later,  and  found  that  we  were 
ascending  a  mountain-path  in  the  midst  of  a  vast 
forest,  which  sometimes  opened  to  give  us  a 
glimpse  of  an  impetuous  torrent,  with  pictur- 


90  UNKNOWN  LIFE  OF  CHEI8T. 

esque  surroundings,  then  quickly  closed  again, 
concealing  from  our  view  the  mountains,  the  sky, 
the  entire  country  in  fact,  but  giving  us  instead 
the  songs  of  myriads  of  its  bright-plumaged 
birds. 

We  emerged  from  the  forest  at  about  noon, 
descended  into  a  small  hamlet  on  the  river-bank, 
and  having  refreshed  ourselves  with  a  cold  lunch, 
resumed  the  journey.  As  we  passed  the  market- 
place I  stopped  with  the  intention  of  purchasing 
a  glass  of  warm  milk  from  a  Hindoo  who  was 
squatting  beside  a  large  pail  of  boiling  milk; 
but  what  was  my  surprise  when  he  proposed  that 
I  should  take  the  pail  with  its  contents,  declaring 
that  I  had  defiled  the  liquid. 

''I  only  want  a  glass  of  milk,  not  the  pail,"  I 
explained. 

''According  to  our  laws,"  replied  the  Hindoo, 
''if  any  one  not  belonging  to  our  caste  gazes  fix- 
edly at  any  object,  or  article  of  food,  we  must 
throw  away  the  one  and  wash  the  other.  You 
have  defiled  my  milk,  O  Sahib,  and  no  one  will 
drink  it;  for  not  only  did  you  gaze  at  it,  but  you 
also  pointed  your  finger  in  its  direction." 

Having  long  examined  his  merchandise  to  make 
sure  it  was  real  milk,  as  well  as  pointed  out  from 
which  side  of  the  pail  I  desired  to  have  it  poured, 
I  stood  convicted;  and  a^  I  always  respect  the 


A  JOURNEY  TO  THIBET.  21 

laws  and  customs  of  strange  nations,  I  readily 
gave  liim  a  rupee,  the  full  price  of  the  spilt  milk, 
although  I  had  taken  but  one  glass.  The  inci- 
dent taught  me  a  lesson,  however,  and  I  was 
never  again  guilty  of  fixing  my  eyes  on  the  food 
of  a  Hindoo. 

There  is  no  religious  doctrine  more  encumbered 
with  ceremonies,  laws,  and  commentaries  than 
Brahminism.  While  each  religion  possesses  but 
one  Bible,  one  gospel,  or  one  Koran,  from  which 
the  Hebrews,  the  Christians,  and  the  Mohamme- 
dans borrow  their  faith,  the  Brahmin  Hindoos 
possess  so  great  a  number  of  commentaries  in 
folio  that  the  most  learned  Brahmin  that  ever 
existed  scarcely  had  time  to  reach  the  tenth. 

Leaving  aside  the  four  books  of  the  Vedas,  the 
Pouranas,  written  in  Sanscrit,  and  composed  of 
eighteen  volumes,  containing  four  hundred  thou- 
sand stanzas,  which  treat  of  law,  theology, 
medicine,  of  the  creation,  the  destruction  and 
regeneration  of  the  world,  etc.;  the  vast  Chas- 
tras,  which  treat  of  mathematics,  grammar,  etc. ; 
the  Oupovedas,  Oupanichadas,  Oupopouranas, 
which  serve  as  explanation  to  the  Pouranas, 
and  a  host  of  other  commentaries  in  many 
volumes,  there  still  remain  the  twelve  large 
books  containing  the  laws  of  Manou,  grandson  of 
Brahma.    These  books  not  only  relate  to  penal 


22  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF   CHRIST. 

and  civil  laws,  but  also  to  canonical  regulations, 
which  impose  on  their  adepts  such  an  infinite 
number  of  ceremonies  that  we  can  not  but 
admire  the  unalterable  patience  of  the  Hindoos 
in  their  observation  of  the  precepts  dictated  by 
Saint  Manou. 

Manou  was  incontestably  a  great  legislator  and 
profound  thinker,  but  he  has  written  so  exten- 
sively that  he  frequently  contradicts  himself  in 
the  same  page.  The  Brahmins  do  not  even 
remark  this,  and  the  poor  Hindoos,  whose  mis- 
sion it  is  to  labor  for  the  support  of  that  caste, 
humbly  obey  their  clergy,  whose  commands 
enjoin  them  to  never  touch  a  man  not  belonging 
to  their  own  caste;  while  a  stranger  is  absolutely 
forbidden  to  fix  his  attention  on  anything  owned 
by  the  Hindoos. 

By  this  adherence  to  the  strict  sense  of  the  law, 
the  Hindoo  imagines  that  his  food  is  contaminated 
when  it  becomes  the  point  of  attraction  to  a  stran- 
ger. And  yet,  even  as  late  as  the  period  of  its 
second  birth,  Brahminism  was  a  purely  mono- 
theistic religion,  recognizing  but  one  infinite  and 
indivisible  God.  But,  as  in  all  ages  and  religions, 
the  clergy,  taking  advantage  of  their  privileged 
position,  gradually  enacted  laws  of  their  own  and 
instituted  different  forms  of  external  worship, 
hoping  thereby  to  influence  the  ignorant  masses. 


A   JOURNEY  TO  THIBET.  23 

By  degrees,  the  principles  of  monotheism  —  of 
which  so  clear  a  conception  is  given  by  the 
Vedas  —  degenerated  into  an  absurd,  unlimited 
series  of  gods,  goddesses,  semi-gods,  genii,  angels, 
and  demons,  all  represented  by  idols  as  varied  in 
form  as  they  are  repulsive  to  the  sight.  These 
people,  formerly  as  proud  as  their  religion  was 
pure  and  grand,  are  now  drifting  into  a  complete 
state  of  idiocy,  the  day  scarcely  sufficing  for  the 
accomplishment  of  all  the  duties  prescribed  by 
the  ecclesiastical  laws. 

It  may  well  be  positively  asserted  that  the 
Hindoos  subsist  merely  to  provide  for  the  prin- 
cipal sect  of  Brahmins,  who  have  grasped  the 
temporal  power  formerly  held  by  the  independent 
sovereigns  of  the  people.  While  governing 
India,  the  English  never  interfere  with  this  phase 
of  public  life,  and  the  Brahmins  take  advantage 
of  this  to  inspire  in  the  nation  the  hope  of  a 
better  future. 

The  sun  soon  vanished  behind  the  towering 
peaks,  and  tlie  shadows  of  night  immediately  fell 
over  the  picturesque  scenery  we  were  traversing. 
The  deep  hush  of  sleep  then  also  spread  over  the 
narrow  valley  lapped  by  the  Jhelum.  The  road, 
winding  along  a  narrow  ledge  of  steep  rocks, 
insensibly  melted  from  our  view,  mountains  and 
trees  became  one  confused  somber  mass,  and  the 


24  UNKNOWN  LIFB  OF  CHEI8T. 

stars  began  to  peep  from  tlie  sky  above.  We 
alighted  from  our  horses  and  groped  our  way 
along  the  mountain* sides,  fearing  every  moment 
to  be  dashed  into  the  yawning  precipice  at  our 
feet. 

At  an  advanced  hour  of  the  night  we  crossed 
a  bridge  and  climbed  up  a  steep  incline  leading 
to  the  Ouri  bungalow,  which  stands  in  complete 
isolation  on  those  heights.  The  following  day 
we  traversed  a  charming  region;  still  skirting 
the  river-bank,  we  came  to  a  sharp  bend,  where 
we  found  the  ruins  of  a  Saic  fortress,  seemingly 
grieving  over  the  ashes  of  its  glorious  past.  In 
a  small  valley,  almost  concealed  in  the  midst  of 
the  surrounding  mountains,  we  found  a  bunga- 
low, with  its  door  invitingly  opened  in  welcome; 
and  not  far  away  we  suddenly  came  into  the 
camp  of  a  cavalry  regiment  belonging  to  the 
army  of  the  Maharaja  of  Kashmir. 

On  learning  that  I  was  a  Russian,  the  officers 
courteously  invited  me  to  breakfast  with  them. 
It  was  on  this  occasion  that  I  had  the  pleasure 
of  forming  the  acquaintance  of  Colonel  Brown, 
who  was  the  first  to  compile  a  dictionary  of  the 
Afghan-Pouchtou  tongue. 

Being  extremely  anxious  to  reach  Serinagur  as 
soon  as  possible,  I  at  once  resumed  my  journey, 
through  a  most  picturesque  region  lying  at  the 


A  JOURNEY  TO  THIBET.  26 

foot  of  the  mountains.  To  my  eyes,  so  wearied 
by  the  monotony  of  the  preceding  scenery,  the 
inhabited  valley  that  now  stretched  before  ns, 
with  its  two-story  buildings,  its  gardens,  and 
cultivated  fields,  came  as  a  positive  relief.  At  a 
short  distance,  hidden  by  a  range  of  high  hill- 
ocks, which  we  crossed  toward  evening,  begins 
the  celebrated  "  Vale  of  Kashmir." 

How  can  I  describe  the  magnificent  scenery 
that  opened  before  my  eyes  as  I  reached  the 
brow  of  the  last  hill  that  separates  the  ''Vale  of 
Kashmir"  from  the  mountainous  country  I  had 
just  traversed!  A  dazzling  picture  held  me  spell- 
bound! 

The  "Vale  of  Kashmir,"  which  is  everywhere 
populated,  and  whose  limits  are  lost  in  the  hori- 
zon, is  walled  in  by  the  high  Himalaya  Mount- 
ains. At  the  rising  and  setting  of  the  sun  the 
zone  of  eternal  snows  appears  like  a  silver  ring 
encircling  this  rich,  beautiful  plateau,  which  is 
intersected  by  many  fine  roads  and  numberless 
sparkling  rivers. 

The  gardens,  the  hillocks,  and  the  lake,  with  its 
many  islands  covered  with  buildings  of  presump- 
tuous style,  all  contribute  to  make  the  traveler 
believe  he  has  been  suddenly  transported  into 
another  world.  He  is  strongly  inclined  to  tarry 
here  forever,  thinking  he  must  have  found  the 


26  UNKNOWN  LIFE  OF  CHRIST. 

paradise,  or  enchanted  land,  of  his  nursery  days. 

The  veil  of  night  soon  spread  over  the  valley, 
merging  mountains,  gardens,  and  lakes  into  one 
dark  mass,  with  a  few  distant  lights  glimmering 
here  and  there  like  stars.  I  descended  the  valley 
in  the  direction  of  the  Jhelum,  which  has  cut  its 
way  through  a  narrow  defile  in  the  mountains  to 
unite  its  waters  with  those  of  the  River  Indus. 

A  legend  exists  in  which  it  is  claimed  that  the 
valley  was  once  an  inland  sea,  the  waters  of 
which  forced  a  passage  through  the  environing 
prison-walls,  leaving  no  trace  but  a  few  small 
ponds  and  the  Jhelum  River,  which  empties  into 
the  Indus.  Its  banks  are  almost  hidden  by  the 
numerous  long,  narrow  boats  which  serve  as 
shelter  for  the  families  of  the  owners  the  year 
round. 

From  this  point,  Serinagur  may  be  reached  in 
one  day  on  horseback,  but  the  journey  by  boat 
consumes  a  day  and  a  half.  I  nevertheless  chose 
to  travel  by  water;  and  having  procured  a  boat, 
after  much  haggling  about  prices  with  the  propri- 
etor, I  installed  myself  at  its  prow  on  a  piece  of 
carpet,  protected  by  a  sort  of  awning. 

We  left  at  midnight,  the  boat  gliding  toward 
Serinagur.  At  the  other  extremity  of  the  bark  a 
Hindoo  was  quietly  preparing  me  a  cup  of  tea, 
while  I  fell  into  a  dreamless  sleep,  happy  in  the 


A  JOUKNEY  TO  THIBET.  27 

thought  that  I  was  advancing  on  my  journey 
without  further  exertion  and  fatigue. 

I  was  aroused  by  the  warm  caresses  of  the  ris- 
ing sun,  and  opened  my  eyes  on  a  glimpse  of 
nature  that  charmed  me  into  ecstasies:  a  bank  of 
velvety  verdure;  the  distant  outlines  of  snow- 
capped peaks;  pretty  villages,  nestling  at  the  foot 
of  the  mountain;  a  crystalline  sheet  of  water;  a 
pure,  balmy  atmosphere,  which  I  breathed  with 
avidity;  the  warbling  of  an  infinity  of  birds;  a 
sky  of  transcendent  purity;  behind  me  the  swish 
of  the  water  under  the  impulsion  of  a  rounded 
oar  dexterously  handled  by  a  beautiful  woman, 
with  wonderful  eyes  and  cheeks  delicately 
bronzed  by  the  sun.  All  these  cast  a  spell  upon 
me,  and  I  totally  forgot  the  reason  of  my  pres- 
ence there.  In  that  one  moment  I  ceased  to  long 
for  the  end  of  my  journey;  and  yet,  what  endless 
privations  and  j)erils  there  still  remained  to  face 
and  endure!  The  boat  glided  swiftly  down  the 
stream,  the  magnificent  scenery  unceasingly 
unfolding  before  my  eyes  to  melt  away  beyond 
the  confines  of  the  horizon,  where  it  seemingly 
became  part  of  the  mountains  already  passed; 
then,  far  away,  in  the  direction  toward  which  we 
were  drifting,  another  glorious  picture  seemed  to 
unroll  from  the  mountain-side,  a  picture  that  grew 
more  and  more  vivid  as  we  were  carried  onward. 


28  UNKNOWN   LIFE  OF  CHRIST. 

Twilight  was  now  gathering  fast  about  ns,  and 
still  I  did  not  weary  of  the  contemplation  of  this 
glorious  bit  of  nature,  which  awakened  in  my 
heart  the  sweetest  recollections  of  my  youth  and 
childhood.  How  beautiful  indeed  were  those 
days,  now  forever  gone! 

As  we  neared  Serinagur  we  saw  more  and  more 
of  those  pretty  villages  buried  in  verdure. 

As  the  boat  came  to  a  stop  a  number  of  people 
flocked  to  the  river-bank,  the  men  wearing  tur- 
bans, the  women  in  small  caps,  and  long  che- 
mises reaching  to  the  ground,  and  the  children  in 
a  state  of  nudity  that  strongly  reminded  us  of  the 
garments  in  vogue  with  our  first  parents. 

A  long  row  of  boats  and  floating  houses,  in 
which  dwell  entire  families,  lines  the  stream  at 
the  entrance  of  the  city.  As  we  quietly  glided 
between  these  w^ooden  huts  the  last  rays  of  the 
setting  sun  were  gilding  the  snow-covered  sum- 
mits of  the  distant  mountains. 

Life  here  seems  to  cease  with  the  setting  of  the 
sun.  Thousands  of  gaily  colored  dungas  and 
banglas  (boats),  adorned  with  palanquins,  were 
moored  to  the  quay,  while  Kashmirians  of  both 
sexes,  attired  in  the  primitive  costume  of  Adam 
and  Eve,  were  performing  their  twilight  ablu- 
tions absolutely  unrestrained  by  the  presence  of 
others;  for  the  importance  of  the  rite  they  were 


A  JOURNBT  TO  THIBET.  39 

executing  was  far  greater  to  them  than  that  of  all 
haman  prejudices. 

On  the  morning  of  October  20th  I  opened  my 
eyes  in  a  clean  cozy  room  overlooking  the  river, 
which  sparkled  and  glistened  beneath  the  glori- 
ous sun  of  Kashmir.  My  object  not  being  to 
describe  my  voyage  in  these  pages,  I  will  say 
nothing  of  the  valleys,  the  paradise  of  lilacs;  of 
the  enchanted  islands,  the  many  historical  pal- 
aces, the  picturesque  pagodas,  so  redolent  of  mys- 
tery; the  coquettish  villages,  seemingly  lost  in 
vast  gardens;  or  of  the  majestic  peaks  of  the 
giants  of  the  Himalaya,  rising  on  all  sides  and 
buried  beneath  a  white  shroud  of  eternal  snow. 
I  shall  merely  note  the  preparations  made  in 
view  of  a  new  journey  in  the  direction  of  Thibet. 
I  spent  six  days  in  Serinagur,  making  long 
excursions  into  its  beautiful  surrounding 
country,  examining  the  numerous  ruins  that  still 
stand  as  evidence  of  the  ancient  prosperity  of 
that  region,  and  studying  the  curious  customs  of 
the  land. 

The  Kashmir,  as  well  as  the  other  provinces 
attached  to  it,  such  as  the  Baltistan,  the  Ladak, 
etc.,  are  vassals  of  England.  They  formerly 
made  part  of  the  possessions  of  the  ''Lion  of 
Punjab,"  Eandjid  Sing;  but  at  his  death  Eng- 
lish troops  invaded  Ijahore,  the  capital  of  the 


30  UNKNOWN  LIFE  OF  CHRIST. 

Punjab,  separated  Kashmir  from  the  rest  of  the 
empire,  and  under  pretense  of  hereditary  posses- 
sion and  in  consideration  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  millions  of  francs,  ceded  it  to  Goubab-Sing, 
a  relation  of  the  dead  sovereign,  on  whom  was 
conferred  the  title  of  Maharaja.  At  the  time  of 
my  voyage,  the  reigning  Maharaja  was  Pertab- 
Sing,  grandson  of  Goubab,  who  resides  in  Jam- 
ooee,  on  the  southern  slope  of  the  Himalayas. 

The  celebrated  "Vale  of  Kashmir,"  which  is 
eighty-five  miles  in  length  and  twenty-five  miles 
in  breadth,  enjoyed  its  days  of  true  glory  and 
prosperity  during  the  reign  of  the  Great  Mogul, 
whose  court  gathered  there  to  enjoy  the  rustic 
pleasures  of  the  country  in  the  cottages  still  stand- 
ing on  the  small  islands  of  the  lake. 

A  large  number  of  the  Maharajas  of  Hindoos- 
tan  formerly  spent  the  summer  months  here 
also,  and  took  part  in  the  sumptuous  roun  1  of 
festivities  given  by  the  Great  Mogul;  but  time 
has  wrought  a  woful  change,  and  the  ''happy 
valley"  is  now  nothing  more  than  a  place  of 
resort  for  mendicants.  Weeds  and  the  moldi- 
ness  from  all  sorts  of  noxious  plants  have  covered 
the  limpid  water  of  the  lake,  the  wild  juniper 
bush  has  choked  all  vegetation  on  the  islands, 
palaces  and  pavilions  have  nothing  left  but 
the  remembrance  of  their  dead  grandeur,  dust 


A   JOURNEY   TO   THIBET.  31 

and  rank  growths  overspread  the  ruins  like  a 
mantle.  The  surrounding  mountains,  with  their 
white  pinnacles,  seem  mournfully  sad  and  pa- 
tiently waiting  for  better  days  to  burst  forth 
in  all  their  immortal  beauty.  The  inhabitants, 
hitherto  intellectual,  handsome,  and  cleanly,  are 
tending  toward  a  state  of  idiocy;  being  filthy  and 
lazy,  and  governed  by  the  lash  instead  of  the 
sword.  The  Kashmirians  have  so  frequently  been 
exposed  to  pillage  and  invasion,  and  have  known 
so  many  masters,  that  they  have  become  indif- 
ferent to  everything;  spending  their  time  near 
their  huts  or  on  the  river  bank  gossiping,  or 
quietly  making  their  celebrated  shawls  and  cut- 
ting designs  on  gold  or  silver.  The  women  are 
extremely  melancholy,  and  bear  an  expression  of 
inconceivable  sadness  on  their  features.  Misery 
and  squalor  reign  everywhere.  The  fine  men  and 
beautiful  women  of  Kashmir  are  filthy  and  ragged 
beyond  conception;  and  the  dress  of  both  sexes, 
in  winter  and  summer  alike,  consists  only  of  a 
long  heavy  gown,  with  wide  flowing  sleeves, 
resembling  nothing  more  than  a  shirt.  This  gar- 
ment is  removed  only  when  completely  worn 
out,  and  never  —  under  any  consideration  —  is  it 
washed,  giving  the  white  turbans  of  the  male 
population  a  dazzling  whiteness  in  contrast  with 
their  stained,  greasy  gowns. 


32  UNKNOWN  LIFE  OF  CHRIST. 

A  deep  sadness  overcomes  the  traveler  as  he 
notes  the  contrast  between  this  rich,  opulent 
country  and  its  ragged  inhabitants. 

Serinagur  (the  city  of  the  sun),  or  Cashmere  as 
it  is  sometimes  called  from  the  name  of  the  coun- 
try, is  the  capital  and  is  situated  on  the  Jhelum, 
along  the  bank  of  which  it  extends  southward 
over  a  distance  of  five  kilometers. 

The  two-story  houses,  which  shelter  a  popula- 
tion of  one  hundred  thousand  inhabitants,  are 
constructed  of  wood,  and  stand  in  close  proximity 
to  the  water.  The  town  itself  is  not  more  than 
two  kilometers  in  breadth,  and  everybody  lives 
on  the  river  whose  banks  are  united  by  ten  or 
twelve  bridges.  Steps  lead  from  every  house  to 
the  waters  of  the  Jhelum,  where  nearly  the  entire 
day  is  spent  in  ablutions,  bathing,  and  washing 
utensils  —  the  latter  consisting  merely  of  two  or 
three  brass  jugs.  A  portion  of  the  inhabitants 
practice  the  Mohammedan  religion,  while  two- 
thirds  are  Brahmans;  there  are  also  a  few  Bud- 
dhists, though  the  number  is  extremely  limited. 

The  time  had  now  arrived  to  begin  my  prepara- 
tions for  a  journey  into  the  unknown.  Having 
purchased  different  kinds  of  conserves,  a  few 
casks  of  wine,  and  many  other  things  found 
indispensable  in  the  course  of  a  journey  through 
a  country  as  sparsely  populated  as  Thibet,   I 


A  JOTTRNEY  TO  THIBET.  38 

packed  the  whole  in  boxes,  hired  ten  carriers  and 
one  interpreter,  bought  myself  a  horse,  and  fixed 
the  date  of  departure  for  October  27th.  To 
enliven  the  road  I  procured  from  a  Frenchman, 
Monsiur  Peicheau,  superintendent  of  the  Maha- 
raja's vineyard,  a  large  dog  which  had  already 
accompanied  my  friends  Bonvalot,  Capus,  and 
Pepin,  the  well-known  explorers  through  the 
Pamir.  Wishing  to  shorten  the  journey  by  two 
days,  I  started  the  carriers  at  dawn  from  the 
other  side  of  the  lake,  while  I  crossed  by  boat, 
rejoining  the  caravan  and  my  horse  at  the  foot 
of  the  chain  of  mountains  that  separated  the 
Serinagur  Valley  from  the  Gorge  of  the  Sindh. 

Never  shall  I  forget  the  tortures  we  endured  in 
climbing,  almost  on  all  fours,  to  the  summit  of  a 
peak  three  thousand  feet  high.  The  carriers  were 
exhausted  and  out  of  breath,  and  I  trembled  lest 
one  of  them  might  roll  down  the  declivity  at  any 
moment  with  his  burden,  while  my  heart  fairly 
ached  at  sight  of  my  poor  dog,  Pamir,  who  stum- 
bled along  with  his  tongue  lolling  out,  whining 
and  falling  by  the  way  at  every  few  steps.  I 
forgot  my  own  fatigue  to  caress  and  encourage 
the  poor  animal,  who  looked  at  me  piteously, 
bravely  went  on  a  few  steps  more,  and  again 
fell  exhausted. 

Night  had  fallen  when  we  reached  the  pinnacle 

8 


34  UNKNOWN  LIFE  OF  CHRIST. 

of  the  mountain,  where  we  greedily  flung  our- 
selves on  the  snow  to  quench  our  thirst.  Having 
taken  a  brief  rest,  we  began  the  descent  through 
a  dense  pine  forest,  hoping  to  gain  the  village  of 
Haiena  at  the  foot  of  the  defile  before  the  appear- 
ance of  beasts  of  prey. 

A  straight  well-kept  road  leads  from  Serina- 
gur  to  Haiena,  going  directly  north  to  Gander- 
bal,  where  it  turns  abruptly  to  the  east,  after 
having  skirted  the  Sindh  and  traversed  a  country 
of  luxurious  vegetation  to  Kangan,  which  is  six 
miles  from  Haiena;  toward  which  place  I  was 
journeying  by  a  more  direct  route  through  a  pass 
three  thousand  feet  high,  but  which  saved  both 
time  and  distance. 

My  first  steps  into  the  unknown  were  marked 
by  an  incident  that  left  a  most  horrible  impres- 
sion upon  me.  The  defile  of  the  Sindh,  which  is 
sixty  miles  long,  is  particularly  celebrated  for  its 
inhospitable  inhabitants,  among  which  panthers, 
tigers,  leopards,  black  bears,  wolves,  and  jackals 
abound.  The  snow  having  unfortunately  just 
spread  its  white  mantle  over  the  summits  of  the 
chain,  these  redoubtable  foes  of  man  had  been 
forced  to  seek  shelter  in  their  lairs  somewhat 
lower  down. 

We  were  silently  following  the  narrow  winding 
path  through  the  pines  and  centenary  birch  trees, 


A  JOURNEY  TO  THIBET.  35 

the  grinding  sound  of  our  footsteps  alone  break- 
ing the  deep  monotonous  hush  of  the  night, 
when  suddenly,  in  our  very  midst  as  it  seemed, 
a  prolonged  howl  awoke  the  echoes  of  the  forest. 
Our  little  band  stopped  short  and  listened. 

''A  panther!"  gasped  my  servant,  who  stood 
trembling  by  my  side. 

The  small  caravan  of  twelve  men  stood  with 
bated  breath,  paralyzed  with  fear.  I  now  re- 
membered that  at  our  last  resting  place  I  had 
entrusted  my  revolver  to  one  of  the  carriers  and 
given  my  rifle  to  another;  the  thought  filled  me 
with  poignant  regret  and  alarm,  and  I  inquired 
in  a  low  tone  for  one  of  these  men.  A  more  ter- 
rible cry  rang  through  the  night  at  this  moment, 
then  a  crash  like  the  fall  of  a  heavy  body  was 
heard,  succeeded  by  a  shriek  of  agony  that  froze 
the  blood  in  our  veins.  We  guessed  rather  than 
saw  the  horrible  struggle  going  on  between  the 
unfortunate  man  and  the  famished  beast  of  prey. 

"Sahib,  take  the  gun,"  whispered  a  voice  near 
me. 

I  feverishly  clutched  the  Winchester.  But, 
alas,  I  could  not  see  two  feet  from  me.  Another 
cry,  followed  by  a  stifled  roar,  guided  me;  and  I 
crept  in  its  direction,  equally  divided  between  my 
desire  to  kill  a  panther  and  the  horrible  dread  of 
being  flayed  alive.    Nobody  dared  to  move;  and 


<\ 


86  UNKNOWN  LIFE  OF  CHRIST. 

it  was  not  until  fully  five  minutes  had  elapsed 
that  one  of  the  men  thought  of  lighting  a  match. 

Remembering  the  dread  of  fire  usually  evinced 
by  wild  beasts,  I  then  caught  up  a  few  handf uls 
of  brush- wood  and  set  flame  to  it. 

Not  more  than  ten  feet  from  us,  we  then  saw 
the  unfortunate  victim  stretched  on  the  ground, 
his  limbs  completely  torn  away  by  the  claws  of  a 
beautiful  panther  which  still  crouched  unmoved 
with  a  piece  of  flesh  between  its  jaws.  Near  by 
lay  a  cask  of  wine  completely  crushed. 

Scarcely  had  I  shouldered  my  gun,  however, 
when  the  beast  of  prey  sprang  to  its  feet,  dropped 
its  bleeding  morsel  of  food  and  turned  as  if  ready 
to  leap  upon  me;  then  with  a  blood-curdling 
howl,  it  suddenly  veered  about  and  disappeared 
in  the  thicket. 

My  coolies,  who  all  this  time  had  been  pros- 
trated to  the  ground  by  terror,  now  gradually 
recovered  from  their  fright  and  prepared  to  go 
on.  Having  gathered  a  bunch  of  dry  underbrush, 
placed  some  matches  at  hand,  and  cocked  our 
guns,  we  hurried  toward  Haiena,  leaving  the 
remains  of  the  unfortunate  Hindoo  behind  us  in 
fear  of  sharing  the  same  fate. 

One  hour  later,  we  came  out  of  the  forest  into 
the  open  country.  I  immediately  had  my  tent 
put  up  under  a  leafy  plane-tree  and  an  enormous 


A  JOURNEY  TO  THIBET.  37 

fire  built;  this  being  the  only  means  of  protection 
that  could  be  used  against  the  wild  beasts  whose 
howls  came  from  every  direction  about  us  freez- 
ing the  blood  in  our  veins.  Meanwhile  my  dog 
crouched  trembling  at  my  feet;  but,  once  in  the 
tent,  he  quickly  regained  his  courage  and  spent 
the  rest  of  the  night  in  incessant  barking. 

That  night  was  a  terrible  one  to  me,  as  I  sat 
upright  with  my  rifle  clutched  tightly  in  my 
hand,  listening  to  the  horrible  howling  and  roar- 
ing that  filled  the  air  with  deafening  echoes.  A 
few  panthers  approached  our  camp  in  response  to 
Pamir's  bark,  but  none  dared  to  come  within 
shooting  distance. 

I  had  left  Serinagur  at  the  head  of  eleven 
carriers,  of  whom  four  carried  as  many  casks  of 
wine,  four  more  the  clothes  needed  for  the  jour- 
ney, another  my  weapons,  and  still  another  dif- 
ferent utensils,  while  a  last  served  as  courier  and 
guide,  as  he  frequently  went  forward  to  recon- 
noiter.  The  latter' s  name  was  Chicari,  which 
signifies,  "he  who  accompanies  the  hunter  and 
picks  up  the  game."  But  owing  to  his  cowardice 
and  utter  ignorance  of  the  country,  I  dismissed 
him,  with  some  of  the  other  men  the  next  morn- 
ing, retaining  only  four  carriers  with  me.  I 
quickly  replaced  them  with  horses,  and  slowly 
proceeded  toward  the  village  of  Grounde. 


38  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF  CHEIST. 

What  beautiful  nature  unfolds  itself  in  the 
gorge  of  the  Sindh,  and  how  beloved  it  is  by  the 
hunter.  Besides  the  larger  beasts  of  prey,  there 
are  also  found  deer,  moufflon,  and  an  immense 
variety  of  birds,  among  which  may  be  mentioned 
the  golden,  the  red,  and  the  snow-white  pheasant, 
large  partridges,  and  immense  eagles. 

The  villages  along  the  Sindh  are  not  remark- 
able  for  their  dimensions,  most  of  them  consist- 
ing of  but  ten  to  twenty  wretched  huts,  occupied 
by  ragged  families  that  bear  the  stamp  of 
poverty.  The  domestic  animals  all  belong  to  an 
exceedingly  small  species. 

Crossing  the  stream  at  Sambal  I  stopped  near 
the  Gounde  village  for  a  relay  of  horses.  In 
some  of  the  small  places,  I  was  absolutely 
refused  a  change  of  horses  until  I  made  use  of 
my  whip,  a  proceeding  which  at  once  imposed 
respect  and  obedience.  Money  also  proved  a 
most  powerful  agent  in  attaining  this  object, 
inspiring  a  servile  obedience  and  a  desire  to 
execute  my  orders  that  was  truly  astonishing. 

Gold  and  the  lash  are  the  real  sovereigns  of  the 
Orient;  without  them  the  Great  Mogul  himself 
could  have  had  no  preponderance. 

Meanwhile,  night  was  gathering  fast  and  I  was 
anxious  to  cross  the  defile  that  separates  the 
villages  of  Gogangan  and  Sonamarg,    the  road 


A  JOURNEY  TO  THIBET.  *     89 

being  in  a  horrible  condition  and  infested  with 
wild  beasts  that  come  to  the  very  doors  of  the 
dwelling  houses  in  search  of  prey  under  cover  of 
night.  The  spot  is  fertile  and  beautiful,  yet  few 
dare  make  it  their  home  on  account  of  the  fre- 
quent visits  of  the  panther  among  the  domestic 
animals. 

At  the  extremity  of  the  defile,  near  Tchokodar, 
or  Thajwas,  I  caught  sight  of  two  dark  masses 
which  I  could  not  at  first  distinguish  in  the  semi- 
obscurity,  but  which,  on  closer  inspection,  proved 
to  be  two  bears  following  a  cub  on  the  roadway. 
Being  alone  with  my  servant  —  the  caravan  hav- 
ing remained  behind  —  I  hesitated  somewhat  in 
attacking  them  with  my  single  rifle,  but  long 
excursions  on  the  mountains  had  strongly  devel- 
oped the  instincts  of  the  hunter  in  me,  and  I 
resolved  to  brave  tbe  dangers.  To  leap  from  the 
saddle,  fire,  and  reload,  without  even  verifying 
the  result  of  the  first  shot,  was  the  work  of  a 
second.  One  of  the  bears  sprang  toward  me,  but 
a  second  shot  changed  his  course,  and  he  disap- 
peared. Still  holding  my  loaded  rifie,  I  cau- 
tiously advanced  in  the  direction  in  which  I  had 
fired  and  found  a  bear  lying  on  its  side,  with  a 
young  cub  playing  near.  Another  shot  brought 
him  down  in  his  turn,  and  I  thus  procured  two 
beautiful  skins  of  jet  black. 


40  UNKNOWN  LIFE  OF  CHRIST. 

This  meeting  delayed  us  two  full  hours,  and 
night  had  completely  fallen  when  I  pitched  my 
tent  near  Tchokodar,  which  I  again  left  at  the 
first  streak  of  dawn  for  Baltal,  still  following  the 
course  of  the  Sindh. 

The  magnificent  scenery  of  the  "golden  prai- 
rie" comes  to  an  abrupt  end  here  with  a  village 
of  the  same  name  —  sona  (gold)  and  marg  (prai- 
rie). The  slope  of  Zodgi-la  is  then  immediately 
reached  —  a  steep  elevation  of  eleven  thousand 
five  hundred  feet — beyond  which  the  entire  coun- 
try assumes  a  severe,  inhospitable  character.  My 
hunting  adventures  were  now  at  an  end,  having 
seen  nothing  this  side  of  Baltal  but  wild  goats. 
Game  might  have  been  found  in  plenty  by  pene- 
trating into  the  very  heart  of  these  mysterious 
mountains,  but  I  had  neither  the  time  nor  desire 
to  leave  the  highway  on  such  dangerous  expedi- 
tions, and  I  tranquilly  continued  my  journey 
toward  Ladak. 

What  an  abrupt  transition  I  experienced,  in 
passing  from  the  smiling  nature  and  fine  popula- 
tion of  Kashmir  to  the  barren  gloomy  rocks  and 
deformed  beardless  inhabitants  of  the  Ladak! 

The  country  into  which  I  had  just  penetrated 
stands  at  an  altitude  of  eleven  to  twelve  thousand 
feet,  descending  to  a  level  of  eight  thousand  at 
Kargil. 


A  JOURNEY  TO  THIBET.  41 

The  ascent  of  Zodgi-La  is  extremely  difficult, 
being  an  almost  perpendicular  wall,  while,  at 
some  points,  the  road  winds  over  projecting 
rocks  not  more  than  a  meter  in  breadth,  bor- 
dering on  a  precipice  of  unfathomable  depth. 
Heaven  i)reserve  the  traveler  from  a  fall!  In 
some  places  long  poles  have  been  introduced 
into  the  rocks  and  covered  with  earth.  Brr — ! 
At  the  thought  that  the  dislodging  of  the  small- 
est stone  from  the  mountain-side,  or  the  oscilla- 
tion of  the  poles  might  precipitate  the  structure 
into  the  yawning  abyss  below,  carrying  with  it  the 
intrepid  person  who  might  have  ventured  on  this 
perilous  path,  my  heart  almost  stopped  its  beat- 
ing, and  it  was  with  a  sigh  of  relief  that  I  finally 
came  to  the  end  of  the  dangerous  path. 

Having  crossed  the  glaciers,  we  made  a  halt  in 
the  valley  and  began  preparations  to  spend  the 
night  near  a  post-hut,  amid  cheerless  surround- 
ings of  eternal  ice  and  snow. 

Beyond  Baltal  distance  is  determined  by  means 
of  daks  —  postal  stations  established  to  facilitate 
the  forwarding  of  mail.  These  are  low  huts  sit- 
uated at  a  distance  of  seven  kilometers  from  each 
other,  where  a  man  remains  permanently  on  duty 
in  each.  The  postal  service  between  the  Kash- 
mir and  Thibet  is  of  the  most  primitive  l^ind. 
The  letters  are  inclosed  in  a  leather  bag  and 


42  UNKNOWN   LIFE  OF  CHRIST. 

placed  in  charge  of  a  carrier,  who  rapidly  travels 
over  the  seven  kilometers  allotted  to  him  with  a 
basket  strapped  to  his  back  containing  a  number 
of  these  bags.  This  he  hands  over  to  another  car- 
rier, who,  in  his  turn,  accomplishes  his  task  in  a 
similar  fashion.  Neither  rain  nor  snow  can  stop 
them,  and  the  service  is  thus  carried  on  with 
regularity  between  Kashmir  and  Thibet,  and  vice- 
versa,  once  a  week.  Each  run  is  paid  for  at  the 
rate  of  six  annas  (one  franc),  this  being  the  com- 
pensation usually  given  merchandise  carriers, 
although  my  servants  carried  a  burden  ten  times 
as  heavy.  One  is  filled  with  compassion  at  sight 
of  the  pale,  haggard  faces  of  these  weary  men; 
but  what  can  be  done?  It  is  the  custom  of  the 
country,  and  strangers  are  powerless.  Tea  is 
brought  from  China  in  a  similar  way,  a  rapid 
and  cheap  means  of  transportation. 

As  we  approached  Montaiyan,  I  rejoined  the 
caravan  of  Yarkandians  which  I  had  promised 
to  accompany  on  their  journey.  They  recognized 
me  from  afar  and  begged  me  to  examine  one  of 
their  companions  who  was  very  ill.  I  found  him 
struggling  in  the  throes  of  a  burning  fever,  and 
waved  my  hands  as  a  sign  of  despair;  pointing 
to  heaven  to  make  them  understand  that  human 
science  and  will  was  powerless  now,  and  that  God 
alone  could  save  him.     As  they  were  journeying 


A  JOURNEY  TO  THIBET.  43 

very  slowly,  I  left  them  once  more  with,  the 
intention  of  reaching  Dras  that  evening,  a  town 
built  in  the  depth  of  the  valley  on  a  river  of 
the  same  name,  near  which  is  a  small  fort  of 
extremely  ancient  construction,  newly  plastered, 
and  guarded  by  three  soldiers  of  the  Maharaja's 
army. 

Here  I  took  shelter  in  the  postal  building;  the 
only  station  in  connection  with  the  telegraphic 
wire  laid  from  Serinagur  to  the  heart  of  the 
Himalayas.  From  this  time  forward,  I  totally 
abandoned  my  tent  at  night  and  sought  repose 
in  the  roadside  inns,  which,  though  repulsively 
filthy,  could  always  boast  of  a  huge  chimney 
fire. 

From  Dras  to  Kargil  the  scenery  is  monotonous 
and  disagreeable.  The  sunrise  and  sunset  are 
glorious  it  is  true,  and  the  moonlight  is  magnifi- 
cent, but  the  road  is  flat,  endless,  and  beset  with 
dangers. 

Kargil  is  the  chief  town  of  the  district  and  the 
residence  of  the  governor  of  the  division.  The 
site  is  decidedly  picturesque.  Two  turbulent 
streams,  the  Sourou  and  Wakka,  dash  noisely 
over  their  rocky  beds  and  unite  their  rippling 
waters  as  they  emerge  from  their  respective 
gorges  thus  forming  the  Suru  River,  on  the 
banks  of  which  the  mud  buildings  of  Kargil  are 


44  UNKNOWN  LIFE  OF  CHRIST. 

constructed.  A  small  fort,  guarded  by  two  or 
three  soldiers,  stands  at  the  junction  of  the  two 
streams. 

Having  procured  fresh  horses,  I  resumed  my 
journey  at  sunrise  by  entering  the  Ladak,  or  Lit- 
tle Thibet.  During  this  day's  journey  I  crossed 
a  shaky  bridge,  which,  like  all  bridges  in  Kash- 
mir, was  rudely  constructed  of  long  beams  rest- 
ing on  either  banks,  overlaid  with  fagots  and 
slender  poles,  giving  it  the  appearance  of  a  some- 
what primitive  suspension  bridge.  Before  long 
I  reached  a  small  plateau  over  which  the  road 
stretched  for  two  kilometers,  then  gradually 
descended  into  the  narrow  valley  of  the  Wakka, 
with  its  many  tiny  villages,  the  most  picturesque 
of  which  is  Paskium  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
river. 

I  was  now  treading  Buddhist  soil.  The  inhab- 
itants of  this  part  of  the  country  are  of  the  most 
simple  and  gentle  character,  seeming  utterly  in 
ignorance  of  what  we  term  ''quarreling"  at 
home.  Women  are  somewhat  scarce;  but  the  few 
we  chanced  to  meet,  by  the  expression  of  cheer- 
fulness and  prosperity  reflected  upon  their  coun- 
tenances, presented  a  strong  contrast  to  those  I  had 
so  far  seen  in  Kashmir  or  India.  But  this  is  not 
astonishing,  since  each  of  these  women  legiti- 
mately possesses  from  three  to  five  husbands. 


A  JOUENEY  TO   THIBET.  46 

Polyandry  is  practiced  throughout  the  country. 
However  large  a  family  may  be,  there  is  but  one 
woman  in  the  household;  and  if  it  does  not  con- 
sist of  more  than  three  persons,  a  bachelor  may 
become  a  member  of  it  by  bringing  material  com- 
pensation into  the  house.  The  days  allotted  to 
each  of  the  husbands  are  determined  upon  before- 
hand, and  all  perform  their  duties  with  scrupu- 
lous exactitude.  The  men,  as  a  rule,  are  of 
weakly  constitutions,  with  stooped  shoulders  and 
a  general  debilitated  appearance,  and  scarcely 
ever  pass  middle  age.  In  fact,  I  did  not  meet 
one  single  white-haired  old  man  throughout  my 
journey  in  the  Ladak  country. 

That  portion  of  the  Kargil  route  which  lies  in 
the  center  of  the  Ladak,  is  of  a  more  cheerful 
aspect  than  the  country  over  which  I  had  just 
traveled,  being  much  enlivened  by  a  number  of 
small  hamlets,  but  trees  and  verdure  are  unfor- 
tunately exceedingly  scarce. 

Twenty  miles  from  Kargil,  at  the  mouth  of  the 
defile  formed  by  the  swift  current  of  the  Wakka, 
is  a  small  village  called  Chargol,  in  the  center  of 
which  are  three  altars  decked  in  bright  colors 
(t'hortenes  is  the  name  they  bear  in  Thibet). 
Below,  near  the  river,  is  a  mass  of  rocks  forming 
long,  thick  walls,  on  which  flat  stones  of  divers 
colors  have  been  thrown  pell-mell,  in  the  greatest 


46  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF  CHRIST. 

disorder.  These  stones  are  elaborately  engraved 
with  all  sorts  of  prayers  in  Sanscrit,  Thibetan, 
and  Oudhist  characters;  and  even  Arabic  inscrip- 
tions have  sometimes  been  found  in  this  mixture. 
Unperceived  by  my  carriers,  I  surreptitiously 
abstracted  a  few  of  these  stones  which  I  subse- 
quently placed  in  the  palace  of  the  Trocadero. 

From  Chargol  on,  these  peculiar  oblong  piers 
are  seen  at  every  step.  At  the  first  streak  of 
dawn  I  started  on  my  way  with  fresh  horses, 
coming  to  a  halt  near  the  convent  (gonpa)  of 
Moulbeck,  which  stands  against  a  tall  isolated 
rock  overlooking  the  hamlet  of  Wakkha.  Not 
far  away  towers  another  gigantic  rock  of  peculiar 
form,  which  looks  as  if  transported  there  by 
human  hands,  and  bears  on  one  side  a  carved 
image  of  Buddha  several  meters  in  height. 

On  this  rock  were  placed  a  number  of  weather- 
cocks that  served  as  a  means  of  invocation. 
These  labor-saving  devices  consist  of  wooden 
hoops  draped  with  white  or  yellow  material,  and 
attached  to  a  stick  set  vertically  into  the  ground. 
The  softest  breeze  will  set  them  in  motion,  and 
the  happy  individual  who  possesses  one  of  these 
contrivances  is  no  longer  obliged  to  recite  his 
prayers,  as  everything  that  may  be  asked  of  the 
presiding  god,  by  the  believer,  is  written  thereon. 

Seen  from  a  distance  this  white -plastered  mon- 


A  JOURNEY  TO  THIBET.  47 

astery,  standing  in  such  strong  relief  against  the 
gray  rocks,  and  these  whirling  machines  with 
their  floating  draperies,  produce  a  very  strange 
effect  in  that  half-dead  country. 

Leaving  my  horses  in  the  hamlet,  and  fo' 
lowed  by  my  servant,  I  turned  my  steps  in  th*  ? 
direction  of  the  convent,  which  was  reached  by  ^ 
narrow  stairway  hewn  into  the  solid  rock.  At 
the  top  of  this  steep  flight,  I  was  greeted  by  a 
corpulent  Lama,  with  a  fringe  of  scraggy  beard 
beneath  his  chin  —  a  characteristic  of  the 
Thibetan  people  —  and  exceedingly  ugly  feat- 
ures, but  who  received  me  with  the  utmost 
cordiality.  His  dress  consisted  of  a  yellow  robe 
and  a  cloth  cap  of  the  same  color  with  ear-laps. 
In  his  right  hand  he  carried  a  brass  prayer- 
wheel,  which  he  set  in  motion  from  time  to  time 
without  the  least  pause  in  the  conversation. 
This  constituted  a  perpetual  prayer,  which  being 
communicated  to  the  air  was  the  more  easily 
wafted  to  heaven  by  the  aid  of  the  elements. 
After  crossing  a  long  succession  of  low  rooms, 
in  which  were  shelved  a  variety  of  images 
of  Buddha,  all  sorts  and  sizes  buried  beneath  a 
thick  mantle  of  dust,  we  finally  emerged  upon  an 
open  terrace,  from  which  the  eye  rested  on  a 
most  baiTen  waste,  interspersed  with  ledges  of 
gray  rocks,  and  traversed  by  a  single  road  lost 


48  UNKNOWN  LIFE   OF  0HEI8T. 

in  both  directions  beyond  the  limits  of  the 
horizon. 

We  were  scarcely  seated  when  an  attendant  ap- 
peared with  hop  beer,  or  tchang,  as  it  is  called  in 
this  region,  prepared  within  the  walls  of  the  mon- 
astery. This  beverage  gives  the  monks  a  quantity 
of  superfluous  flesh,  which  is  considered  by  the 
people  as  a  sign  of  particular  favor  from  heaven. 

The  Thibetan  language  is  generally  spoken 
here.  The  origin  of  this  tongue  is  enveloped  in 
obscurity;  the  accepted  theory,  however,  is  that 
a  king  of  Thibet,  who  reigned  in  the  days  of  Mo- 
hammed, undertook  the  creation  of  a  universal 
language  to  be  used  by  all  the  followers  of 
Buddha.  With  this  end  in  view  he  simplified 
the  Sanscrit  grammar,  composed  an  alphabet  con- 
taining an  infinite  number  of  signs,  and  thus 
formed  the  basis  of  a  tongue  of  exceedingly  easy 
pronunciation,  but  of  most  complicated  orthog- 
raphy; no  less  than  eight  characters  being  re- 
quired to  represent  a  single  sound.  The  modern 
literature  of  Thibet  is  all  written  in  this  lan- 
guage. The  Thibetan  tongue  in  its  purity,  more- 
over, is  spoken  in  the  Ladak  and  in  Oriental 
Thibet  only;  a  dialect  formed  from  a  mixture  of 
the  mother  tongue  and  a  variety  of  idioms  bor- 
rowed from  the  people  of  adjacent  regions  being 
used  in  all  other  parts  of  the  country. 


A  JOURNEY   TO   THIBET.  49 

There  always  exist  two  tongues,  even  in  every- 
day life,  among  the  Thibetans;  one  being  utterly 
incomprehensible  to  the  women,  while  the  other 
is  spoken  by  the  entire  nation.  The  Thibetan 
tongue,  in  all  its  purity  and  integrity,  can  be 
found  in  the  monasteries  only. 

The  monks  much  prefer  European  visitors  to 
Mohammedans;  and  when  I  asked  the  reason 
of  this  preference,  the  Lama  replied: 

''The  Mohammedans  have  nothing  in  common 
with  our  religion.  In  their  recent  victorious  cam- 
paign, they  converted,  by  force,  a  number  of  Bud- 
dhist s  to  Islamism;  and  it  will  require  great 
efforts  on  our  part  to  bring  back  these  descend- 
ants of  Buddhists  into  the  path  of  the  true  God. 
As  to  Europeans,  it  is  an  entirely  different  mat- 
ter. Not  only  do  they  profess  the  essential  prin- 
ciples of  monotheism,  but  they  also  form  part  of 
the  rank  of  worshipers  of  Buddha  in  almost  the 
same  degree  as  the  Thibetan  Lamas  themselves. 
The  only  error  of  the  Christians  is  that  after 
adopting  the  great  doctrine  of  Buddha,  they,  at 
the  very  outset,  completely  separated  themselves 
from  him  and  created  another  Dalai-Lama;  while 
ours  alone  has  received  the  divine  favor  of  seeing 
the  majesty  of  Buddha  face  to  face,  and  the  power 
of  serving  as  intermediary  between  heaven  and 
earth." 

4 


60  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF  CHRIST. 

' '  Who  is  this  Dalai-Lama  of  the  Christians  of 
whom  you  speak?  "  I  asked.  ^'  We  have  a  '  Son 
of  God '  to  whom  we  address  our  fervent  prayers. 
It  is  to  him  we  have  recourse,  that  he  may  inter- 
cede for  us  near  our  one  and  indivisible  God." 

''  It  is  not  to  him  I  referred,  sahib,"  he  replied. 
''We  also  respect  him  whom  you  recognize  as 
the  son  of  an  only  God,  only  we  do  not  regard  him 
as  such,  but  as  the  excellent  being,  the  chosen 
one  from  among  all.  Buddha  did,  indeed,  incar- 
nate himself  with  his  intelligence  in  the  sacred 
person  of  Issa,  who,  without  the  aid  of  fire  and 
sword,  went  forth  to  propagate  our  great  and 
true  religion  through  the  entire  world.  I  speak 
of  your  terrestrial  Dalai-Lama,  to  whom  you 
have  given  the  title  of  Father  of  the  Church. 
There  lies  the  great  sin;  may  it  be  remitted  to 
the  sheep  that  have  strayed  from  the  fold  into 
the  evil  path,"  concluded  the  Lama  fervently,  as 
he  once  more  set  his  prayer- wheel  in  motion. 

I  understood  that  he  alluded  to  the  Pope. 

''You  have  said  that  a  son  of  Buddha,  Issa, 
the  chosen  one,  propagated  your  religion  through- 
out the  w^orld.     Who  then  is  he? "  I  inquired. 

The  Lama  opened  his  eyes  in  profound  amaze- 
ment at  this  question,  and  rhuttered  something  I 
could  not  catch,  then  murmured  almost  unin- 
telligibly: 


A  JOURNEY  TO  THIBET.  51 

"Issa  is  a  great  prophet,  one  of  the  first  after 
the  twenty -two  Buddhas^^  he  is  greater  than  any 
of  the  Dalai-Lamas,  for  he  constitutes  a  part  of 
the  spirituality  of  the  Lord.  It  is  he  who  has 
instructed  you,  who  has  brought  back  frivolous 
souls  to  God,  who  has  rendered  you  worthy  of 
the  blessings  of  the  Creator,  who  has  endowed 
each  creature  with  the  knowledge  of  good  and 
evil.  His  name  and  his  deeds  have  been  recorded 
in  our  sacred  writings,  and,  whilst  reading  of  his 
great  existence  spent  in  the  midst  of  erring  peo- 
ple, we  weep  over  the  horrible  sin  of  the  pagans, 
who  assassinated  him  after  putting  him  to  the 
most  cruel  tortures." 

I  was  forcibly  struck  by  the  Lama's  words  — 
the  prophet  Issa,  his  tortures  and  death,  our 
Christian  Dalai-Lama,  the  recognition  of  Chris- 
tianity by  the  Buddhists,  all  combined  to  make 
me  think  more  and  more  of  the  career  of  Jesus 
Christ  —  and  I  begged  my  interpreter  to  omit 
nothing  of  the  Lama's  conversation. 

"Where  are  these  sacred  writings,  and  by 
whom  were  they  compiled? "  I  asked. 

''The  principal  rolls,"  said  the  monk,  ''writ- 
ten in  India  and  Nepal  at  different  epochs, 
according  to  the  course  of  events,  are  at  Lassa 
and  number  many  thousands.  In  some  of  the 
larger  convents,  there  are  copies  made  by  the 


52  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF   CHRIST. 

Lamas  at  different  periods  during  their  stay  at 
Lassa,  and  later  presented  to  their  convents  as 
souvenirs  of  their  visits  to  the  great  master,  our 
Dalai-Lama." 

"  Do  you  not  possess  any  of  these  copies  relat- 
ing to  the  prophet  Issa? " 

"No,  we  do  not  possess  any.  Our  convent  is 
of  little  importance,  and  the  Lamas  have  col- 
lected but  a  few  hundred  manuscripts  since  its 
foundation.  The  large  cloisters  possess  thou- 
sands of  them,  but  they  are  sacred  things,  and 
you  can  not  see  them  anywhere." 

After  a  few  minutes  more  conversation,  I 
returned  to  the  camp,  reflecting  deeply  on  what 
had  been  said  by  the  Lama. 

Issa,  the  prophet  of  Buddhists!  How  could 
that  have  been?  Being  of  Jewish  origin,  he  dwelt 
in  Palestine  and  Egypt;  and  the  scripture  con- 
tains not  a  word,  not  the  slightest  allusion  to 
the  part  played  by  Buddhism  in  the  education  of 
Jesus. 

I  determined  to  visit  every  convent  in  Thibet, 
hoping  to  gather  more  ample  information  con- 
cerning the  prophet  Issa  and  perhaps  find  copies 
of  documents  relating  to  him. 

Without  being  aware  of  it,  we  traversed  the 
Namykala  Pass  at  an  altitude  of  thirteen  thou- 
sand feet,  from  which  we  descended  into  the  val- 


A  JOURNEY  TO   THIBET.  63 

ley  of  the  Salinoumali  River.  Turning  south- 
ward we  reached  Karbou,  leaving  numerous 
villages  behind  us  and  on  the  other  bank. 
Among  these  was  Chagdoom,  perched  on  the 
summit  of  a  rugged  cliff  in  a  singularly  pictur- 
esque situation.  All  the  houses  of  this  little 
town  being  white,  and  of  two  to  three  stories  in 
height,  it  presents  an  air  of  most  festive  gaiety, 
which,  however,  is  a  common  feature  of  all  the 
villages  of  the  Ladak. 

While  journeying  through  Kashmir,  the  Euro- 
pean loses  almost  all  notion  of  his  national  archi- 
tecture in  the  monotonous  sameness  of  the  low 
square  huts  of  the  people;  in  the  Ladak,  on  the 
contrary,  he  is  agreeably  surprised  by  the  sight 
of  neat  houses  of  two  and  three  stories,  with 
quadruple  windows,  which  remind  him  strongly 
of  those  of  European  provinces. 

Not  far  from  Karbou,  standing  on  two  perpen- 
dicular rocks  of  gigantic  dimensions,  are  the 
ruins  of  a  little  town  or  village  destroyed  by  a 
disastrous  storm  and  an  earthquake;  although 
the  remains  of  the  walls  show  that  their  solidity 
certainly  left  nothing  to  be  desired.  The  next 
day  I  passed  another  station  and  crossed  the 
Fotu-La  Pass,  at  an  altitude  of  thirteen  thousand 
five  hundred  feet,  on  the  summit  of  which  is  built 
a  small  t'hortene  altar.    From  thence,  following 


64  UNKNOWN  LIFE  OF  CHRIST. 

the  dry  bed  of  a  torrent,  I  descended  into  a  ham- 
let called  Lamayure,  which  springs  up  unexpect- 
edly before  the  eyes  of  the  traveler.  A  convent, 
seemingly  glued  to  the  face  of  the  rocky  cliff  and 
held  there  by  miraculous  intervention,  domin- 
ates the  village.  Stairways  are  unknown  in  this 
monastery,  ropes  being  used  to  ascend  and 
descend  from  one  floor  to  another;  and  the  only 
means  of  communication  with  the  outer  world  is 
through  an  endless  labyrinth  of  passages  and 
corridors.  Directly  beneath  the  convent  win- 
dows, which  appear  like  huge  nests  suspended 
from  an  isolated  rock,  is  a  small  inn  of  uninvit- 
ing aspect  which  offers  little  comfort  to  the  trav- 
eler. Hardly  had  I  stretched  myself  upon  the 
carpet  in  my  room  when  it  was  invaded  by  a 
number  of  yellow-robed  monks,  who  questioned 
me  closely  regarding  the  object  of  my  Journey, 
the  country  from  which  I  came,  etc.,  concluding 
by  inviting  me  to  accompany  them. 

In  spite  of  my  fatigue,  I  accepted  the  invitation 
and  followed  them  up  the  steep  passages  hewn  in 
the  solid  rock,  encumbered  by  an  infinity  ot 
prayer-wheels  which  I  involuntarily  set  in  mo- 
tion as  I  passed.  These  devices  are  thus  placed 
to  save  the  passer-by  any  loss  of  time  in  prayer; 
and  a  stranger  might  be  led  to  suppose  that 
worldly  affairs  absorbed  their  entire  day,  leaving 


A  JOURNEY  TO  THIBET.  55 

no  time  for  prayer.  Many  pious  Buddhists  util- 
ize the  current  of  rivers  for  this  purpose;  and  I 
have  frequently  seen  long  rows  of  these  cylinders, 
covered  with  invocations,  placed  on  river  banks, 
so  that  the  steady  flow  of  water  might  keep  them 
in  constant  movement,  and  thus  exempt  their 
owners  from  the  obligation  of  praying. 

I  finally  found  myself  seated  on  a  bench  in  a 
dimly  lighted  room,  whose  walls  were  adorned 
with  the  inevitable  statues  of  Buddha,  books,  and 
prayer-wheels,  with  the  loquacious  monks  eagerly 
explaining  the  signification  of  each  object. 

''And  these  volumes  treat  of  religion,  no 
doubt?"  I  ventured,  during  a  pause. 

''Yes,"  was  the  reply;  "they  treat  of  the 
first  and  principal  rites  of  everyday  life.  We 
also  possess  several  volumes  of  the  words  of 
Buddha,  consecrated  to  the  great  and  indivisible 
Divine  Being,  and  to  all  things  that  have  come 
from  his  hands." 

"  Is  there  anything  relating  to  the  prophet  Issa 
among  these  books? "  I  asked. 

"No,  sahib,"  returned  the  monk.  "  We  have 
nothing  but  a  few  of  the  principal  treatises  rela- 
tive to  the  observance  of  religious  rites.  As  to 
the  biographies  of  our  saints,  they  are  preserved 
at  Lassa,  and  even  some  of  the  larger  convents 
have  not  yet  had  time  to  procure  copies  of  them. 


66  UNKNOWN    LIFE  OF   CHRIST. 

Before  coming  here  I  lived  many  years  in  a 
large  monastery  at  the  other  extremity  of  the 
Ladak,  where  I  saw  thousands  of  volumes  and 
rolls  of  parchment  copied  at  divers  periods  by 
the  lamas  of  that  place." 

In  the  course  of  further  conversation  I  learned 
that  the  convent  in  question  was  situated  near 
Leh.  My  persistent  inquiries,  however,  unfor- 
tunately aroused  suspicion  in  the  minds  of  the 
lamas,  and  it  was  with  evident  relief,  on  their 
part,  that  I  was  finally  guided  back  to  the  inn; 
when,  after  a  light  supper,  I  soon  fell  into  a 
sound  sleep,  leaving  instructions  to  my  Hindoo 
servant  to  cautiously  ascertain  —  from  the  young 
lamas — the  name  of  the  convent  in  which  their 
chief  had  lived  before  his  appointment  to  Lama- 
yure. 

At  daybreak  I  continued  my  journey,  and,  to 
my  disappointment,  learned  from  my  servant  that 
his  efforts  to  gain  information  from  the  lamas 
had  proved  unsuccessful,  as  they  were  evidently 
on  their  guard. 

I  shall  not  pause  here  to  speak  of  the  convent 
life  of  these  monks,  for  it  is  the  same  in  all  clois- 
ters of  the  Ladak.  I  afterward  visited  the  cele- 
brated monastery  of  Leh,  which  I  shall  describe, 
in  due  time,  giving  full  particulars  concerning  the 
curious  existence  led  by  the  monks. 


A  JOURNEY  TO  THIBET.  67 

A  steep  declivity,  running  through  a  narrow 
gloomy  defile  that  leads  toward  the  Indus, 
begins  at  Lamayure. 

Totally  unconscious  of  the  dangers  lurking  in 
the  descent,  I  sent  my  carriers  onward  and  en- 
countered a  passably  good  road  stretching  be- 
tween two  cliflfs  of  brown  argil.  Soon,  however, 
the  path  seemed  to  enter  a  narrow,  obscure,  sub- 
terranean passage,  winding  like  a  cornice  along 
the  rugged  mountain  side,  above  a  precipice  of 
frightful  depth.  A  horseman,  coming  from  the 
opposite  direction,  would  assuredly  have  found  it 
impossible  to  pass  me  on  this  overhanging  shelf. 
Words  are  inadequate  to  describe  the  wild  ma- 
jestic beauty  of  this  gorge,  whose  ridges  tower 
loftily  toward  the  heavens,  lifting  their  crests 
proudly  above  the  dark  chasm  beneath. 

At  some  points  the  passage  became  so  nar- 
row that  I  could  touch  the  opposite  rocks  with 
the  tip  of  my  cane  from  the  saddle,  while  at  times 
it  seemed  as  if  death  was  inevitable  at  every  step. 
But  it  was  now  too  late  to  alight  from  my  horse, 
although  I  had  never  dreamed  that  I  should  soon 
find  occasion  to  regret  my  foolish  imprudence  in 
entering  this  gorge  alone.  This  passage,  in  fact, 
is  nothing  more  than  an  enormous  crevice  formed 
by  a  powerful  earthquake,  which  must  have 
forcibly  separated  two  gigantic  masses  of  granite 


58  UNKNOWN   LIFE  OF    CHRIST. 

rocks.  In  the  very  depth  of  the  defile  is  an  im- 
petuous torrent,  whose  loud  roar  fills  the  gorge 
with  a  mysterious  murmur,  though  it  seems  but 
an  almost  invisible  white  thread;  while  above  the 
traveler  glimmers  a  narrow,  winding,  blue  streak, 
which  is  the  only  part  of  the  celestial  arch 
revealed  between  the  towering  rocks.  This  ma- 
jestic glimpse  of  nature  inspired  the  most  exquis- 
ite pleasure  and  delight,  but  the  severe  tranquil- 
lity, the  frightful  hush  of  the  mountains,  and  the 
melancholy  murmur  of  the  torrent  whose  waters 
dashed  against  the  granite  rocks,  filled  me  with 
unconquerable  anguish.  For  a  distance  of  nearly 
eight  miles  we  were  thus  swayed  between  these 
sweet  and  painful  sensations;  then,  after  an  abrupt 
turn  to  the  right,  our  troop  emerged  into  a  small 
valley  encircled  with  granite  cliffs  whose  peaks 
are  reflected  in  the  Indus,  and  on  the  banks  of 
which  is  found  the  small  fortress  of  Khalsi.  This 
celebrated  fortress  dates  back  to  the  time  of  the 
Mussulman  invasions,  and  the  only  route  from 
Kashmir  to  Thibet  passes  through  it. 

Having  crossed  the  Indus  on  a  semi-suspension 
bridge  leading  to  the  door  of  the  fortress,  which 
it  is  impossible  to  evade,  I  traversed  the  valley 
and  the  village  of  Khalsi,  directing  my  steps 
toward  the  hamlet  of  Snourly,  which  is  situated 
along  the  stream  and  built  on  terraces  bordering 


A  JOURNEY  TO  THIBET.  59 

the  Indus,  intending  to  spend  the  night  there. 
The  next  two  days  I  traveled  quietly,  and  with- 
out encountering  any  difficulties,  along  the  banks 
of  the  Indus,  through  a  picturesque  country  that 
led  me  toward  Leh,  the  capital  of  the  Ladak. 

Through  the  small  valley  of  Saspoula,  and  over 
a  territory  of  several  kilometers  surrounding  the 
village  of  the  same  name,  we  saw  a  number  of 
t'hortenes  and  shrines,  and  also  two  convents, 
over  one  of  which  floated  the  French  flag.  I 
afterward  learned  that  a  French  engineer  had 
made  a  present  of  it  to  the  monks,  who  used  it 
for  decorative  purposes. 

I  spent  the  night  at  Saspoula,  and  did  not  fail 
to  visit  the  convent,  the  reader  may  rest  assured. 
There,  for  the  tenth  time,  I  saw  the  eternal  and 
dusty  idols  of  Buddha,  banners  and  flags  piled 
into  a  corner,  ugly  masks  littered  over  the  floor, 
books  and  rolls  of  paper  scattered  in  disorder, 
and  a  numberless  quantity  of  prayer- wheels.  The 
lamas  take  particular  pleasure  in  making  this 
exhibition,  displaying  the  treasures  of  their  con- 
vents with  great  pomp  and  pride,  without  in  the 
least  heeding  the  indifference  or  lack  of  interest 
natural  to  a  stranger.  ''Everything  must  be 
shown,  in  the  hope  that  the  mere  sight  of  these 
sacred  objects  may  force  the  traveler  to  believe  in 
the  divine  grandeur  of  the  human  soul." 


60  UNKNOWN  LIFE   OF  CHRIST. 

As  to  the  prophet  Issa,  they  only  repeated  what 
I  already  knew  —  that  the  books  which  could  give 
me  any  information  concerning  him  were  to  be 
found  at  Lassa,  and  that  the  larger  monasteries 
only  possessed  a  few  copies  of  them.  I  now 
abandoned  all  thought  of  going  through  the  Kar- 
akorum,  and  determined  to  find  the  history  of  the 
prophet  Issa,  which  would,  perhaps,  place  the 
private  life  of  the  best  of  men  under  a  new  light 
and  complete  the  vague  accounts  given  of  him 
in  the  New  Testament. 

At  a  short  distance  from  Leh,  and  at  the  open- 
ing of  the  valley  bearing  the  same  name,  the  road 
stops  short  near  an  isolated  rock,  on  the  top  of 
which  stands  a  fort  flanked  with  two  towers  and 
without  garrison,  and  a  small  convent  called 
Pitak.  A  mountain  ten  thousand  five  hundred 
feet  in  height  protects  the  entrance  of  Thibet. 
The  road  then  turns  abruptly  to  the  north  in  the 
direction  of  Leh,  which  is  situated  at  an  altitude  of 
eleven  thousand  five  hundred  feet,  six  miles  from 
Pitak,  and  at  the  base  of  immense  granitic  col- 
umns, with  pinnacles  enshrouded  in  eternal  snows 
rising  to  an  elevation  of  eighteen  thousand  to 
nineteen  thousand  feet.  The  city  itself  is  en- 
circled by  a  belt  of  stunted  aspen-trees,  and  is 
elevated  on  successive  terraces,  dominated  by  an 
old  fort  and  the  palace  of  the  ancient  sovereigns 


A  JOURNEY  TO   THIBET.  61 

of  the  Ladak.  At  twilight  I  reached  Leh,  and 
descended  into  a  bungalow  especially  constructed 
for  Europeans  who  come  over  the  Indian  route  in 
the  hunting  season 


THE  LADAkV 

THE  Ladak  formerly  made  part  of  Great 
Thibet.  But  the  frequent  invasions  of 
northern  nations,  who  traversed  this  coun- 
try in  attempting  to  conquer  Kashmir,  and  the 
many  wars  of  which  it  was  the  scene  of  action,  not 
only  reduced  it  to  misery,  but  also  resulted  in  its 
separation  from  the  political  domination  of  Lassa 
by  its  passing  from  the  hands  of  one  conqueror  to 
those  of  another.  The  Mohammedans,  who  took 
possession  of  Kashmir  and  the  Ladak  at  an  early 
period,  forcibly  converted  the  weak  inhabitants 
of  Little  Thibet  to  Islamism.  The  political  exist- 
ence of  the  Ladak  ended  with  the  annexation  of 
that  country  to  Kashmir  by  the  Sikhs,  when  the 
people  were  permitted  to  again  practice  their 
ancient  religion.  Two-thirds  of  the  inhabitants 
took  advantage  of  this  freedom  to  reconstruct 
their  gonpas  and  resumed  their  former  life;  the 
Baltistans  alone  remaining  Schiit-Mussulmans,  a 
sect  to  which  the  conquerors  of  the  country  had 
belonged.     Notwithstanding  this,  however,  they 

have  retained  but  a  very  vague  tinge  of  Islamism; 

<a0) 


THE  LADAK.  63 

the  character  of  which  is  revealed  mostly  in  their 
customs  and  the  polygamy  they  practice.  The 
lamas  declare  that  they  do  not  yet  despair  of 
bringing  them  back  to  the  faith  of  their  ancestors 

In  regard  to  religion  the  Ladak  is  dependent 
on  Lassa,  the  capital  of  Thibet  and  the  residence 
of  the  Dalai-Lama;  it  is  at  Lassa  also  that  the 
principal  Khutuktus,  or  supreme  lamas,  and  the 
Chogzots,  or  managers,  are  elected.  Politically 
it  is  under  the  authority  of  the  Maharaja  of  Kash- 
mir, who  appoints  the  governor. 

The  population  of  the  Ladak  is  essentially 
Mongolian,  but  is  divided  into  Ladakians  and 
Tchampas.  They  lead  a  sedentary  life,  build 
villages  along  the  narrow  valleys,  dwell  in  neat 
two-story  houses,  and  cultivate  a  few  patches  of 
land.  They  are  excessively  ill-favored,  being 
of  small  stature,  hollow-cheeked,  and  round- 
shouldered,  with  a  small  head,  narrow  receding 
forehead,  the  bright  dark  eyes  of  the  Mongolian 
race,  a  flat  nose,  a  large  mouth  and  thin  lips, 
and  a  short  chin,  adorned  with  a  sparse  beard,  in 
which  ends  the  net  of  wrinkles  that  furrow  the 
two  hollow  cheeks.  Such  is  the  Ladakian.  To 
this  add  a  shaven  head,  from  which  hangs  a  very 
slender  braid  of  hair,  and  you  have  not  only  the 
general  type  of  the  inhabitants  of  Ladak,  but  of 
the  entire  Thibet. 


64  UNKNOWN  LIFE  OF  OHBIST. 

The  women  are  also  of  small  stature,  and  pos- 
sess prominent  cheek-bones;  but  they  are  of  more 
robust  constitution  and  the  roses  bloom  in  their 
cheeks,  while  a  sympathetic  smile  continually 
hovers  about  their  lips.  They  are  gentle  in  dis- 
position and  exceedingly  gay,  being  very  fond 
of  laughter. 

The  severity  of  the  climate  and  the  rugged 
nature  of  the  country  deprive  the  people  of  rich 
clothing  of  varied  colors.  Their  shirts  are  of 
common  unbleached  linen  and  of  rough  cloth  of 
home  manufacture;  while  their  trousers,  of  the 
same  material,  are  made  to  reach  the  knee.  Men 
of  means  add  a  choga  (coat)  to  this.  A  fur  cap, 
with  earlaps,  is  worn  in  the  winter;  while  a  cloth 
cap  with  a  side  flap  does  duty  in  the  summer.  A 
whole  arsenal  of  small  objects  hang  from  their 
belts;  among  which  may  be  found  a  case  of 
needles,  a  knife,  a  pen  and  inkstand,  a  tobacco 
pouch,  and  the  inevitable  prayer-wheel. 

Male  Thibetans,  as  a  rule,  are  so  intensely  indo- 
lent, that  when  their  hair  becomes  loosened,  it 
remains  unbraided  for  three  months;  and  once 
they  have  put  on  a  shirt,  it  is  worn  until  it  falls 
in  tatters  from  their  bodies.  Their  coats  are 
always  dirty,  and  invariably  bear  the  stamp  of 
their  braid  of  hair,  which  they  never  forget  to 
grease  carefully  every  day.     They  wash  their 


THE  LADAK.  66 

faces  once  a  year;  not  of  their  own  free  will,  but 
because  constrained  by  the  law.  The  stench  they 
spread  around  them  is,  in  fact,  so  intense  that 
strangers  approach  them  only  when  absolutely 
necessary. 

The  women,  on  the  contrary,  are  exceedingly 
fond  of  order  and  cleanliness;  bathing  constantly 
every  day,  and  upon  any  excuse.  A  red  gown  is 
worn  over  their  dazzling  white  and  well-molded 
shoulders,  confined  below  the  waist  within  narrow 
red  and  green  pantaloons,  over  which  falls  a 
wide  cloth  skirt  elaborately  plaited.  A  pair  of 
red  shoes,  embroidered  and  lined  with  fur,  com- 
pletes this  house  costume.  The  hair  is  worn  in  a 
thin  braid,  to  which  is  pinned  a  large  piece  of 
loose  cloth  somewhat  resembling  the  Italian  head- 
dress; beneath  this  peculiar  veil  is  suspended  a 
variety  of  bright  colored  pebbles,  coins,  and 
fragments  of  carved  metals;  the  ears  are  covered 
with  two  tongues  of  cloth  or  fur;  and  a  lined 
lamb-skin  is  worn  over  the  shoulders,  barely 
covering  the  back.  While  the  poor  are  satisfied 
with  a  j)lain  fur  skin,  for  outdoor  wear,  the  w^omen 
of  wealth  wear  a  veritable  pelisse,  trimmed  with 
red  cloth  and  gold  fringe. 

Whether  merely  strolling  through  the  streets 
or  calling  on  their  neighbors,  these  women  invari- 
ably carry  on  their  backs  a  basket  of  conical 


66  UNKNOWN    LIFE   OF  CHRIST. 

shape,  in  which  they  gather  their  fuel  from  the 
dunghills.  Every  woman  possesses  money  of  her 
own,  which  she  invariably  spends  on  trinkets; 
usually  buying  large  pieces  of  turquoise,  which 
are  cheap  enough,  and  adding  them  to  the  odd 
ornaments  of  her  head-dress.  I  have  seen  stones 
of  this  kind  that  weighed  fully  five  pounds. 

The  Ladakian  woman  holds  a  social  position 
envied  by  all  her  Oriental  sisters,  for  she  is  free 
and  respected;  and,  save  for  the  few  hours  of  light 
work  she  does  in  the  fields,  spends  nearly  all  her 
time  in  exchanging  neighborly  visits,  although  it 
must  be  here  remarked  that  ''gossiping"  is 
unknown. 

Agriculture  is  the  general  occuj)ation  of  the 
fixed  population  of  the  Ladak;  but  the  inhabit- 
ants possess  so  little  land  —  the  portion  of  each 
being  about  ten  acres  —  that  the  income  derived 
therefrom  barely  suffices  for  the  mere  necessaries 
of  life,  leaving  nothing  toward  the  payment  of 
taxes.  Trades  are  generally  despised;  and  labor- 
ers and  musicians,  who  compose  the  lowest  degree 
of  society,  are  known  under  the  contemptuous 
name  of  Bem,  and  universally  shunned.  The 
hours  of  leisure  left,  after  their  work  in  the  fields 
is  accomplished,  is  spent  in  hunting  the  Thibet 
goat,  whose  fur  is  greatly  valued  in  India;  while 
the  poorer  inhabitants,  who  can  not  afford  the 


THE   LADAK.  67 

necessary  weapons,  hire  themselves  as  coolies. 
This  sport  is  also  engaged  in  by  women,  whose 
powers  of  endurance  are  remarkable,  and  who 
really  bear  the  hardships  encountered  in  the  chase 
much  better  than  their  husbands,  the  latter  being 
so  intensely  lazy  that  they  are  quite  capable  of 
spending  the  whole  night  out  of  doors,  lying  on  a 
stone,  indifferent  alike  to  heat  and  cold. 

Polyandry  (a  subject  which  later  on  I  shall 
return  to  more  in  detail)  has  the  effect  of  uniting 
the  people  more  closely,  by  forming  large  families 
who  till  their  land  in  common,  with  their  yaks, 
zos,  and  zomos  (oxen  and  cows).  No  member  of 
a  family  can  at  any  time  leave  it;  and  when  one 
dies,  his  share  reverts  to  the  community. 

Wheat  is  the  principal  crop,  but,  owing  to  the 
harshness  of  the  climate,  the  grain  is  exceedingly 
small.  Barley  is  also  cultivated,  and  is  pulver- 
ized before  being  sold.  When  the  harvest  is  over, 
the  men  repair  to  the  mountains  to  gather  a  wild 
plant  called  ''Enoriota"  and  a  species  of  tall 
thistle,  or  "dama,"  which  are  used  for  fuel,  wood 
being  extremely  scarce  in  the  Ladak.  Forests  and 
gardens  are  unknown,  and  it  is  only  at  rare  inter- 
vals that  sickly  clumps  of  poplars  and  willows  are 
found  on  the  banks  of  the  streams.  A  few  aspens 
may  also  be  sometimes  seen  near  the  villages;  but 
for  lack  of  fertile  soil  gardening  can  not  thrive. 


68  UNKNOWN   LIFE    OF   CHRIST. 

The  scarcity  of  wood  is  particularly  noticeable 
in  the  buildings,  which  are  constructed  of  sun- 
dried  bricks,  or  of  medium -sized  stones,  cemented 
together  with  a  sort  of  mortar  composed  of  argil 
and  chopped  straw. 

The  houses  of  the  sedentary  Ladakians  consist 
of  two  stories,  with  carefully  white-washed  walls 
and  brightly-painted  windows,  the  horizontal 
roofs  forming  terraces  which  are  decked  with  wild 
flowers,  and  where,  during  the  fine  season,  the 
inmates  kill  time  contemplating  nature  and  keep- 
ing their  prayer-wheels  in  motion.  Each  of  these 
dwellings  contains  several  rooms,  all  furnished 
with  a  bed  and  other  articles  of  furniture,  save 
one,  which  is  reserved  for  visitors  and  hung  with 
the  most  beautiful  skins.  In  the  homes  of  the 
wealthier  class,  there  is  also  an  apartment  spe- 
cially devoted  to  prayer  and  filled  with  idols. 

A  most  regular  existence  is  led  here.  Every- 
thing is  eaten  without  much  choice,  but  the  prin- 
cipal food  is  of  the  plainest  kind.  Breakfast 
consists  of  a  morsel  of  rye  bread;  while  at  noon 
a  bowl  of  flour  is  i^laced  on  the  table,  warm 
water  poured  into  it,  and  the  whole  stiried  with 
small  sticks  until  it  attains  the  consistency  of  a 
thick  batter,  which  is  then  rolled  into  small  balls 
and  eaten  with  milk;  for  supper,  bread  and  tea 
are  served.     Meat  is  a  superfluous  luxury,  little 


THE  LADAKc  69 

used  save  by  hunters  wIlo  introduce  a  certain 
degree  of  variety  in  their  meals  by  eating  the 
flesh  of  wild  goats,  eagles,  or  white  pheasants, 
which  are  quite  plentiful  in  this  country. 

A  great  quantity  of  tchang,  a  sort  of  pale 
unfermented  beer,  is  drunk  all  day  long. 

Should  a  Ladakian  leave  home,  in  search  of 
work  in  a  neighboring  village,  on  a  pony  —  and 
these  privileged  beings  are  few  indeed  —  he  invari- 
ably provides  liimself  with  a  small  quantity  of  flour 
for  the  journey.  The  dinner  hour  having  arrived, 
he  seeks  a  river  or  spring,  mixes  a  little  flour  and 
water  together  in  a  wooden  cup  which  he  always 
carries,  and  sits  quietly  down  to  enjoy  his  meal. 

The  Tchampas,  or  nomads,  who  compose  the 
other  portion  of  the  population  of  the  Ladak,  are 
much  poorer  and  coarser  than  the  sedentary 
Ladakians.  They  are  mostly  hunters,  and  neg- 
lect agriculture  completely.  Although  professing 
the  Buddhist  religion,  they  never  enter  a  monas- 
tery unless  in  need  of  flour,  which  they  obtain  in 
exchange  for  game;  and  their  favorite  dwelling 
place  is  a  tent  on  the  summit  of  the  mountains, 
where  the  cold  is  excessive.  While  the  Ladak- 
ians, properly  speaking,  are  anxious  to  gain 
knowledge,  proverbially  indolent  and  truthful, 
the  Tchampas,  on  the  contrary,  are  irritable, 
extremely  active,   inveterate  liars,   and    profess 


70  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF   CHRIST. 

utter  contempt  for  convents.  Dwelling  among 
tliem  is  the  little  colony  of  the  Khomba,  a  bohe- 
mian  set  of  people  wlio  came  from  the  vicinity  of 
Lassa,  and  lead  a  miserable  existence  as  mendi- 
cants. Incapable  of  work,  and  speaking  a  tongue 
not  understood  in  the  country  in  which  they  beg 
their  bread,  they  are  objects  of  universal  scorn, 
being  tolerated  only  through  compassion  for  their 
deplorable  condition  when  starvation  drives  them 
in  numbers  into  the  villages. 

Polyandry,  which  is  practiced  in  all  families, 
deeply  aroused  my  curiosity.  It  is  by  no  means 
a  consequence  attending  the  doctrines  of  Bud- 
dhism, for  this  custom  existed  long  before  the 
appearance  of  Buddha.  It  has  assumed  enor- 
mous proportions  in  India,  where  it  constitutes 
one  of  the  most  active  means  of  checking  a  popu- 
lation that  ever  tends  to  increase;  and  even  at  the 
present  day,  the  practice  of  killing  female  chil- 
dren at  birth  makes  terrible  ravages  in  that  coun- 
try; all  efforts  on  the  part  of  the  English  having 
proved  fruitless  in  their  struggle  against  the  sup- 
pression of  future  mothers.  Manou  himself  made 
polyandry  a  law,  and  Buddhist  preachers,  who 
had  abjured  Brahmanism  and  advocated  the  use 
of  opium,  imported  the  custom  into  the  island  of 
Ceylon,  Thibet,  Mongolia,  and  Korea.  Though 
long    suppressed   in    China,    polyandry,   whose 


THE  LADAK.  71 

stronghold  is  in  Thibet  and  Ceylon,  also  flour- 
ishes among  the  Kalmuks,  between  Todas  in 
Southern  India,  and  Nairs  on  the  Malabar  Coast. 
Traces  of  this  odd  marriage  constitution  are  also 
found  among  the  Tasmanians,  and  in  North 
America  among  the  Iroquois. 

Furthermore,  polyandry  has  even  flourished  in 
Europe,  if  we  are  to  believe  Caesar,  who  says  in 
his  ''De  Bello  Gallico."  liv.  V,  page  17:  "  Uxores 
Tidbent  deni  duodenique  inter  se  communes^  et 
maxime  fratres  cum  fratribus  et  parentes  cum 
liberisy 

All  this  proves  conclusively  that  it  is  impossi- 
ble to  look  upon  polyandry  as  a  religious  custom. 
In  Thibet,  it  may  be  explained  by  motives  of  an 
economic  order,  if  we  take  into  consideration  the 
average  quantity  of  tillable  land  falling  to  each  of 
its  inhabitants.  To  maintain  a  population  of  one 
million  five  hundred  thousand  on  a  surface  of  one 
million  two  hundred  thousand  square  kilometers, 
the  Buddhists  were  forced  to  adopt  polyandry, 
while  each  family  is  moreover  obliged  to  furnish 
one  member  to  a  religious  order.  The  first-born 
son  is  pledged  to  a  gonpa,  which  is  invariably  found 
on  one  of  the  heights  near  each  village.  When 
the  child  has  attained  the  age  of  eight  years,  he 
is  intrusted  to  a  caravan  on  its  way  to  Lassa, 
where  he  enters  one  of  the  convents  and  remains 


72  UNKNOWN    LIFE  OF  CHRIST. 

until  the  age  of  fifteen  as  a  novice.  There  he 
learns  to  read  and  write,  and  studies  the  religious 
rites  and  the  sacred  parchments  written  in  the 
Pali  tongue,  the  language  formerly  spoken  in  the 
Maguada  Country,  where,  according  to  tradition, 
Buddha  Gautama  was  born. 

The  elder  brother  chooses  a  wife  who  becomes 
the  common  property  of  every  member  of  his 
family.  The  choice  of  the  bride  and  the  nuptial 
ceremony  are  both  accomplished  in  the  most  prim- 
itive way.  When  a  woman  and  her  several  hus- 
bands decide  upon  the  marriage  of  one  of  theit 
sons,  the  elder  brother  is  sent  to  pay  a  visit  to  a 
neighbor  with  a  marriageable  daughter. 

The  first  and  second  visits  are  spent  in  com- 
monplace conversation,  intermingled  with  fre- 
quent libations  of  tcliang;  and  it  is  only  on  the 
occasion  of  his  third  visit  that  the  young  man 
announces  his  intention  of  taking  upon  himself  a 
wife.  The  young  girl,  who  is  not  unknown  to  the 
prospective  groom,  since  the  women  of  Ladak 
never  veil  their  faces,  is  then  brought  forward. 

A  young  girl  can  not  be  married  without  her 
consent;  but  if  she  accepts  the  proposal,  the 
young  man  takes  her  with  him  to  his  home, 
where  she  becomes  his  wife  and  that  of  his 
brothers.  A  family  with  but  one  son,  sends  him 
to  a  woman  who  has  two  or  three  husbands  only, 


THE  LADAK.  73 

and  he  offers  himself  in  the  role  of  third  or  fourth 
husband.  This  offer  is  not  usually  declined,  and 
the  young  man  immediately  takes  his  place  in  the 
bosom  of  his  new  family. 

Children  are  sometimes  also  married  at  a  very 
tender  age;  but  they  always  remain  in  their 
respective  families  until  they  have  attained,  or 
even  passed,  a  marriageable  age.  Should  a 
young  girl  give  birth  to  a  child  before  mar- 
riage, she  is  not  only  shielded  from  public 
scorn,  but  is,  on  the  contrary,  surrounded  with 
every  mark  of  the  greatest  resjDect;  for  she  is 
prolific,  and  a  host  of  men  rival  the  favor  of 
her  hand.  A  woman  has  the  right  to  have  an 
unlimited  number  of  husbands  or  lovers.  In 
the  latter  case,  she  invites  the  young  man  of 
her  choice  into  her  home,  and  quietly  announces 
that  she  has  taken  a  new  lover  ''jing-tuh;"  a 
piece  of  information  received  with  perfect  equa- 
nimity on  the  part  of  the  discarded  husbands, 
and  even  with  Joy  when  the  wife  of  their 
bosoms  has  proved  barren  in  the  first  three 
years  of  her  marriage. 

Jealousy  is  unknown.  The  Thibetan  is  of  too 
cold  a  temperament  to  understand  love;  which, 
for  him,  would  almost  seem  an  anachronism,  even 
if  it  were  not  a  flagrant  violation  of  the  custom 
which  makes  women  common  to  all;  in  a  word, 


74  UNKNOWN  LIFE  OF  CHRIST. 

to  his  eyes,  love  would  appear  a  luxury  that 
nothing  could  justify. 

In  the  absence  of  one  of  the  husbands,  his 
place  is  offered  to  a  bachelor  or  a  widower  — 
although  the  latter  are  in  great  minority,  the 
wife  usually  surviving  her  debilitated  husbands 
— or  a  Buddhist  traveler,  whose  business  may 
retain  him  for  some  time  in  the  village,  is  some- 
times chosen  instead.  A  married  man  who 
travels,  or  finds  himself  in  a  neighboring  town 
in  search  of  work,  always  takes  advantage  of 
the  hospitality  of  his  co-religionists,  who  place 
their  own  wives  at  his  disposal  as  well  as  their 
roofs;  and  in  case  a  woman  has  remained  sterile, 
the  husbands  are  really  importunate  in  their 
offers,  hoping  thereby  to  become  fathers. 

Not  withstanding  her  peculiar  position,  the 
woman  is  entirely  free  in  the  choice  of  a  hus- 
band or  lover ;  she  enjoys  the  esteem  and  respect 
of  all,  is  always  cheerful,  takes  part  in  every- 
thing that  is  discussed,  and  goes  unimpeded 
wherever  she  pleases,  save  in  the  principal  cham- 
ber of  prayers  in  the  monastery,  the  entrance  of 
which  is  formally  interdicted  to  her. 

The  children  recognize  their  mother  only,  and 
feel  no  affection  for  their  fathers  for  the  excellent 
reason  that  they  possess  an  infinity  of  them. 
Although  I  do  not  approve  of  polyandry,  I  can 


THE  LADAK.  75 

scarcely  condemn  its  practice  in  Thibet.  Were 
it  not  for  it,  the  population  would  increase  pro- 
digiously; famines  and  misery  would  spread  over 
the  whole  nation  with  their  entire  sinister  train,— 
murder,  theft,  etc.,  crimes  which  are  yet  abso- 
lutely unknown  in  that  entire  country. 


A  FEAST  IN  A  GONPA. 

LEH,  the  capital  of  the  Ladak,  is  a  small  town 
of  five  thousand  inhabitants,  with  two  or 
three  streets  bordered  with  neat  white 
houses,  and  a  market  square,  or  bazaar,  where  the 
merchants  of  India,  China,  Turkestan,  Kashmir, 
and  Thibet  come  to  exchange  their  products  for 
Thibetan  gold,  brought  by  the  natives,  for  the 
purchase  of  cloth  garments  for  their  monks,  as 
well  as  for  many  articles  of  absolute  necessity  for 
themselves. 

An  old  deserted  palace  stands  on  one  of  the 
hills  that  rises  above  the  town ;  while  in  the  very 
center  of  the  town  is  a  vast  two-story  building,  in 
which  resides  the  Governor  of  the  Ladak,  the 
Surajbal  Vizier  —  a  most  intelligent  and  able 
ruler,  who  obtained  his  degree  of  philosophy  in 
London. 

To  celebrate  my  visit  in  Leh,  the  Governor  or- 
ganized a  polo  game  on  the  square  —  this  game, 
introduced  by  the  English,  having  become  the 
national  game  of  the  Thibetans  —  ending  the 
evening  with  a  round  of  dances  and  games  in 

(76) 


A  FEAST  IN   A   GONPA.  77 

front  of  his  own  terrace.  A  number  of  bonfires 
threw  their  red  glares  over  the  crowd  of  specta- 
tors who  formed  a  circle  around  a  group  of  per- 
sonages disguised  as  animals,  devils,  and  witches; 
leai3ing,  skipping,  and  twirling,  and  executing 
strange  dances  measured  by  the  monotonous 
music  of  two  straight  trumpets,  accompanied  by 
a  drum.  The  infernal  racket  produced  by  these 
instruments,  added  to  the  continual  hue  and  cry 
of  the  crowd,  wearied  me  so  intensely  that  it 
finally  became  well-nigh  unendurable. 

The  ceremony  terminated  with  the  graceful 
dances  of  the  women,  who  twirled  on  their  heels, 
swayed  to  and  fro,  courtesied  beneath  our  win- 
dows, and  gaily  jingled  their  bracelets  of  ivory 
and  brass  by  crossing  their  hands  near  the  wrists. 

I  rose  early  the  following  morning  and  started 
in  the  direction  of  a  large  convent  called  Ifimis, 
which  stands  on  a  most  picturesque  site  at  the 
summit  of  a  high  rock  rising  in  the  middle  of  a 
valley  that  dominates  the  Indus.  It  is  one  of  the 
principal  monasteries  of  the  country,  and  is  sup- 
ported by  gifts  from  the  inhabitants  and  subsidies 
sent  from  Lassa.  On  the  road  to  the  convent, 
after  having  crossed  the  Indus  and  a  number  of 
small  villages,  we  found  innumerable  shrines 
with  stones  covered  with  inscriptions,  as  well  as 
many    t'hortenes    which    our   guides    carefully 


78  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF   CHRIST. 

passed  on  the  right  side.  Once  I  tried  to  turn 
my  horse  to  the  left,  but  the  Ladakians  made  me 
turn  back,  leading  my  steed  by  the  bridle,  and 
explaining  that  it  was  customary  to  turn  to  the 
right.  I  found  it  impossible,  however,  to  learn 
the  origin  of  this  custom. 

We  wended  our  way  on  foot  toward  the  gonpa, 
which  is  surmounted  by  an  embattled  tower  vis- 
ible from  afar,  and  soon  found  ourselves  before  a 
large,  brightly -painted  door,  forming  part  of  a 
vast  building  inclosing  a  graveled  court.  To  the 
right,  in  one  of  the  angles,  is  a  large  painted  door 
adorned  with  big  brass  rings.  This  is  the  en- 
trance to  the  principal  temple,  which  is  decorated 
with  paintings  of  the  chief  idols  and  an  immense 
statue  of  Buddha  surrounded  by  a  multitude  of 
sacred  statuettes.  To  the  left  is  a  verandah  orna- 
mented with  a  huge  prayer-wheel,  around  which 
the  lamas  were  gathered  in  a  circle.  Below  and 
directly  beneath  this  verandah  were  a  few  musici- 
ans with  long  trumpets  and  drums  in  their 
hands. 

To  the  right  of  the  court  is  a  row  of  doors  giv- 
ing access  to  the  rooms  occupied  by  the  monks, 
all  decorated  with  sacred  paintings  and  prayer- 
wheels,  the  latter  surmounted  by  black  and  red 
tridents  with  floating  ribbons  covered  with 
inscriptions. 


A  FEAST  IN   A  GONPA.  79 

In  the  center  of  the  court  are  two  tall  poles, 
from  the  tips  of  which  float  yak-tails  and  narrow 
paper  streamers  bearing  religious  precepts.  Along 
the  walls  of  the  convent  are  more  prayer- wheels 
ornamented  with  ribbons. 

A  profound  silence  reigned  in  the  court;  all 
were  anxiously  awaiting  the  representation  of  a 
religious  mystery  about  to  begin.  We  took  our 
places  on  the  verandah,  not  far  from  the  lamas, 
and  almost  immediately  the  musicians  intoned  a 
soft  monotonous  melody  on  their  trumpets,  to 
the  accompaniment  of  a  queer  looking  drum  sup- 
ported on  a  stick  planted  into  the  ground. 

At  the  first  notes  of  the  melancholy  cliant  that 
accompanied  this  fantastic  music,  the  doors  along 
the  convent  wall  opened  to  admit  a  procession  of 
a  score  of  personages  disguised  as  animals,  birds, 
devils,  and  inconceivable  monsters.  On  their 
breasts  were  fantastic  dragons,  demons,  and 
skulls,  embroidered  in  Chinese  silk  of  different 
hues.  Their  head-dress  consisted  of  a  conical- 
shaped  hat,  with  long  multi-colored  ribbons  fall- 
ing over  the  breast  and  elaborately  inscribed; 
while  over  the  face  was  worn  a  mask  represent- 
ing a  skull,  embroidered  in  white  silk.  Thus 
appareled,  they  slowly  circled  around  the  tall 
poles  standing  in  the  middle  of  the  court,  waving 
their  arms  and  brandishing  from  their  left  h&nds 


80  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF  CHRIST. 

a  peculiar  sort  of  spoon  made  of  the  fragment  of 
a  human  skull  bound  with  a  piece  of  ribbon,  to 
which  was  attached  a  tuft  of  hair  torn  —  it  was 
claimed  —  from  the  scalps  of  their  enemies.  Their 
promenade  around  the  poles  soon  developed  into  a 
sort  of  wild  dance,  which  was  brought  to  a  sudden 
stop  by  a  more  emphasized  bang  on  the  drum,  only 
to  recommence  a  moment  later,  the  dancers  now 
wielding  yellow  sticks  decked  with  ribbons, 
which  they  held  in  a  menacing  attitude  in  their 
right  hands.  They  then  advanced  and  saluted 
the  chief  lama,  after  which  they  stationed  them- 
selves near  the  door  leading  to  the  temple. 

At  this  same  moment  other  personages,  with 
heads  incased  in  brass  masks,  emerged  from  the 
principal  doors  of  the  temple.  They  were  clothed 
in  embroidered  robes  of  different  hues  and  car- 
ried a  small  tambourine  in  one  hand,  while  with 
the  other  they  jingled  a  string  of  small  bells.  A 
drum-stick  hung  against  each  tambourine,  and 
the  slightest  movement  of  the  hand  brought  it  in 
contact  with  the  sonorous  vellum,  producing  a 
strange  sound.  These  new  dancers  marched 
around  the  court  several  times,  accompanying 
their  steps  with  a  soft  beating  of  the  tambourines. 
After  each  round  there  was  a  pause,  then  a  terri- 
ble din,  produced  by  a  tremendous  beating  of  the 
tambourines  in  unison,  after  which  all  ran  toward 


A  FEAST  IN  A  GONPA.  81 

the  main  entrance,  where  they  ranged  themselves 
on  the  stairway. 

An  instant  of  complete  silence  followed,  at  the 
end  of  which  we  saw  a  third  group  of  disguised 
men  emerge  from  the  temple,  their  enormous 
masks  representing  different  deities  and  bearing  a 
third  eye  on  their  foreheads. 

Marching  at  the  head  was  Thlogan-Poudma- 
Jungnas,  signifying  ''born  in  the  lotus  flower." 
He  was  accompanied  by  another  masked  person- 
age, richly  dressed  and  carrying  a  large  yellow 
parasol  covered  with  drawings.  His  suite  was 
composed  of  gods  in  magnificent  costume:  Dorje- 
Trolong,  Sangspa-Kourpo  (Brahma),  and  others. 
These  masks,  as  the  lama  nearest  to  us  explained, 
represented  six  classes  of  beings  subject  to 
metamorphosis-gods,  demi-gods,  men,  animals, 
spirits,  and  demons. 

On  each  side  of  these  personages,  advancing  so 
gravely,  walked  other  masked  men  in  silk  gar- 
ments of  dazzling  colors,  with  tessellated  gold 
crown  bordered  with  six  gems  and  surmounted 
by  a  long  arrow,  and  each  carrying  a  drum. 

In  this  order  and  amid  the  din  of  clashing,  in- 
coherent music,  they  marched  thrice  around  the 
tall  poles,  then  sat  on  the  ground  in  a  circle  about 
Thlogan-Poudma-Jungnas,    the   three-eyed-god, 

who  gravely  stuck  two  fingers  in  his  mouth  and 
a 


82  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF  CHRIST. 

emitted  a  shrill  whistle.  In  response  to  this 
signal  a  band  of  young  men  in  warrior's  dress 
rushed  out  of  the  temple;  they  wore  short  shirts, 
with  strings  of  sleigh-bells  dangling  around  their 
limbs  and  tied  with  ribbons  that  fluttered  in  the 
breeze,  while  their  heads  were  concealed  beneath 
monstrous  green  masks,  over  which  floated  trian- 
gular red  banners.  With  a  diabolical  din  of  tam- 
bourines and  bells  they  began  a  whirling,  dizzying 
dance  around  the  gods  that  were  seated  on  the 
ground,  while  two  tall  fellows  in  clownish  tights 
executed  a  series  of  grotesque  leaps  and  contor- 
tions that  threw  the  spectators  into  spasms  of 
laughter. 

A  new  group,  whose  disguise  consisted  of  red 
miters  and  yellow  pantaloons,  came  out  of  the 
temple  with  bells  and  tambourines  and  took  up 
the  space  opposite  the  gods,  this  representing  the 
greatest  power  next  to  divinity. 

Then  more  red  and  brown  masked  figures  with 
three  eyes  painted  on  their  breasts  appeared  on 
the  scene.  Two  rows  of  dancers  were  now  formed 
and  a  general  dance  followed,  the  masked  men 
marching  forward  and  backward,  turning  in  a 
circle  here  and  forming  into  columns  there,  only 
pausing  long  enough  now  and  then  to  bow  to  the 
audience  and  form  into  new  figures. 

This  monotonous  performance  finally  came  to 


A  FEAST   IN   A   GONPA.  83 

an  end,  and  gods,  demi-gods,  kings,  men,  and 
spirits  rose,  and,  followed  by  the  masked  forms, 
solemnly  marched  toward  the  principal  door  of 
the  temple,  from  which  came  another  group  dis- 
guised as  skeletons.  Each  of  these  movements 
had  its  particular  signification  and  was  carefully 
calculated  beforehand.  The  advancing  throng 
paused  and  made  way  for  this  procession  of  skele- 
tons, w^ho  gravely,  and  with  measured  steps, 
marched  to  the  tall  poles,  where  they  stopped  and 
shook  the  wooden  clappers  that  hung  to  their 
sides,  producing  a  noise  resembling  the  snapping 
of  the  jaws.  They  then  walked  twice  around  the 
court,  keeping  step  to  the  music  of  the  tambour- 
ines, and  finally  intoned  a  religious  chant. 
After  more  snapping  of  their  artificial  jaws  and 
grinding  of  teeth — imitated  to  perfection  —  they 
executed  a  few  difficult  feats,  in  which  the  con- 
tortions were  really  painful  to  witness,  and  came 
to  a  rest  at  last. 

The  image  of  the  ''enemy  of  men,"  made  of 
dough  and  placed  at  the  foot  of  one  of  the  poles, 
was  then  seized  upon  and  broken,  and  the  pieces 
distributed  among  the  skeletons  by  the  old  men 
who  stood  among  the  spectators,  this  signifying — 
so  it  seems  —  that  they  were  holding  themselves  in 
readiness  to  soon  join  them  in  the  cemetery. 

TtiK^  chief  lama  now  approached  me  and  exten- 


84  UNKNOWN   LIFE  OF  CHRIST. 

ded  a  polite  invitation  to  accompany  him  to  the 
principal  terrace  and  drink  the  tchang  of  the 
feast,  an  offer  which  I  accepted  with  pleasure,  the 
performance  I  had  just  witnessed  having  made 
me  rather  dizzy. 

Having  crossed  the  court  and  ascended  a  stair- 
way encumbered  by  prayer-wheels,  we  passed 
through  two  rooms,  in  which  were  numberless 
images  of  gods,  and  stepped  out  on  the  terrace, 
where  I  seated  myself  on  a  bench  facing  the 
venerable  lama,  whose  eyes  sparkled  with  intelli- 
gence. 

Three  lamas  immediately  brought  jugs  of 
tchang,  which  they  poured  into  small  brass  cups, 
serving  the  chief  lama  first,  then  myself  and 
servants. 

''Did  you  enjoy  our  little  celebration?"  inquired 
the  lama. 

"It  was  very  fine,"  I  answered,  ''and  I  have 
not  yet  been  able  to  shake  off  the  impression 
made  on  me  by  the  spectacle  I  have  just  wit- 
nessed. But,  I  must  admit,  that  I  never  imagined 
for  a  moment  that  Buddhism  could  surround  its 
religious  ceremonies  with  so  gaudy,  not  to  say 
clamorous,  exterior  forms." 

"There  is  no  religion  in  which  the  ceremonies 
assume  a  more  theatrical  form,"  returned  the 
lama.     "It  is  a  ritual  part  of  the  service  which 


A  FEAST  IN  A  GOKPA.  86 

in  no  way  violates  the  fundamental  principles  of 
Buddhism,  being  merely  a  practical  means  of 
maintaining  the  ignorant  throng  in  the  obedience 
and  love  of  the  Creator,  as  a  toy  may  keep  a 
child  under  the  submission  of  his  parents.  The 
people,  or  the  ignorant  throng,  are  the  children 
of  the  Father." 

"But  what  is  the  meaning  of  all  those  masks, 
costumes,  bells,  dances,  and,  in  a  general  way,  of 
this  entire  performance,  which  seems  to  be  exe- 
cuted from  a  fixed  programme  ?"  I  asked. 

"We  have  many  such  feasts  in  the  year," 
replied  the  lama,  "and  we  invite  outsiders  to 
represent  the  mysteries,  which  bear  a  strong 
analogy  to  pantomimes,  and  in  which  each  actor 
may  execute  almost  any  figure  or  movement  he 
chooses,  provided  he  conforms  himself  to  the  cir- 
cumstances and  keeps  the  main  idea  in  view. 
Our  mysteries  are  nothing  more  than  pantomimes, 
which  should  represent  the  gods  as  enjoying  uni- 
versal veneration ;  a  veneration  that  should  be 
rewarded  by  that  cheerfulness  of  soul  which 
comes  from  the  simultaneous  knowledge  of  inevi- 
table death  and  of  a  future  existence.  The 
actors  wear  garments  belonging  to  the  gonpa, 
and  act  according  to  general  instructions,  which 
leave  them  full  freedom  of  gesture.  The  effect 
produced  is  undoubtedly  magnificent,   but  the 


86  UNKNOWN   LIFE  OF  CHRIST. 

spectators  must  guess  the  signification  of  each 
part  for  themselves.  You  sometimes  also  have 
recourse  to  this  expedient,  which  in  no  way 
affects  the  principle  of  monotheism  itself." 

''Excuse  my  interruption,"  I  broke  in,  ''but 
that  mass  of  idols  which  encumbers  your  gonpas 
is  certainly  a  gross  violation  of  this  principle ! " 

"As  I  have  already  said,"  explained  the  lama, 
"  man  is,  and  always  will  be,  in  his  infancy.  He 
understands,  sees,  and  feels  the  grandeur  of 
nature,  but  he  neither  sees  nor  understands  the 
great  spirit  which  has  created  and  animated  all 
things.  Man  has  always  sought  tangible  things, 
it  being  impossible  for  him  to  believe  long  in 
what  escapes  his  material  senses.  He  has  racked 
his  brains  to  find  the  means  of  contemplating  the 
Creator,  trying  to  enter  into  direct  relations  with 
the  Supreme  Being  who  has  given  him  so  many 
blessings,  and,  as  he  erroneously  believes,  many 
unnecessary  trials  too.  This  explains  why  he 
began  to  worship  those  parts  of  nature  from 
which  he  received  benefits.  We  see  a  striking 
example  of  this  in  the  ancient  Egyptians,  who 
worshiped  animals,  trees,  and  stones,  winds  and 
tempests.  Other  nations,  steeped  more  deeply  in 
ignorance,  seeing  that  the  results  of  winds  were 
not  always  favorable,  that  rain  was  not  infallible 
in  producing  good  crops,  and  that  animals  fre- 


A   FEAST  IN  A  GONPA.  87 

quently  disobeyed  the  will  of  man,  sought  a 
direct  intermediary  between  themselves  and  the 
great  unfathomable  and  mysterious  power  of  the 
Creator.  Thus  they  created  idols,  which  they 
regarded  as  neutral  to  all  their  surroundings, 
and  to  whose  mediation  they  always  had 
recourse.  From  the  remotest  periods  to  the 
present  day,  man  has  never  known  any  tendency 
but  toward  tangible  reality.  In  seeking  a  path 
that  might  lead  them  to  the  feet  of  the  Creator, 
the  Assyrians  turned  their  gaze  toward  the 
planets,  which  they  contemplated  but  could  not 
reach.  This  belief  the  Guebers  retain  to  this 
day.  In  their  nullity  and  blindness  of  mind, 
men  are  incapable  of  conceiving  the  invisible  and 
spiritual  link  that  unites  them  to  the  great 
Divinity,  which  explains  why  they  have  sought 
palpable  things  existing  within  the  domain  of 
the  senses;  thus  aiming  an  attenuating  blow  at 
the  divine  principle.  However,  they  have  never 
dared  attribute  a  divine  and  eternal  existence  to 
the  visible  images  which  are  their  own  hand- 
work. The  same  fact  may  be  observed  in  Brah- 
manism,  where  men,  who  have  been  left  to  their 
inclination  in  regard  to  exterior  forms,  have 
gradually — and  not  in  one  day  —  created  an 
irmy  of  gods  and  demi-gods.  The  Israelites 
have  probably  demonstrated  in  the  most  con- 


88  UNKNOWN  LIFE  OF  CHRIST. 

elusive  manner  the  inherent  love  of  man  for  all 
that  is  concrete;  notwithstanding  a  series  of  daz- 
zling miracles  performed  by  the  great  Creator, 
who  is  the  same  for  all  nations,  the  people  of 
Israel  could  not  help  setting  uj)  a  god  cast  in 
metal,  at  the  very  moment  when  their  prophet 
Mossa  was  conversing  with  the  Creator  ! 

"Buddhism  has  undergone  the  same  modifica- 
tions. Our  great  reformer,  Cakya-Mouni,  who 
was  inspired  by  the  Supreme  Judge,  truly  under- 
stood the  one  and  indivisible  majesty  of  Brahma, 
and  did  all  in  his  power  to  prevent  the  manufac- 
ture of  images,  made,  it  was  claimed,  in  his  resem- 
blance; he  openly  separated  himself  from  the 
polytheistic  Brahmans  and  preached  the  purity 
and  immortality  of  Brahma.  The  success  obtained 
by  himself  and  his  disciples  among  the  people 
caused  him  to  be  persecuted  by  the  Brahmans, 
who  had  acquired  a  source  of  personal  revenue  in 
creating  new  gods,  and  who,  contrary  to  the  law 
of  God,  treated  the  nation  despotically.  Our 
first  sacred  jireachers,  whom  we  call  Buddhas, 
which  means  learned  and  saintly,  because  the 
Great  Creator  incarnated  himself  in  them,  dwelt 
in  different  parts  of  the  world.  As  their  sermons 
were  mainly  directed  against  the  tyranny  of  the 
Brahmans  and  their  x3rofitable  business  in  propa- 
gating this  idea  of  God,  the  Buddhists  —  that  is 


A  FEAST  IN   A  GONPA.  89 

those  who  have  followed  the  doctrine  of  these 
holy  preachers  —  were  mostly  gathered  from  the 
lower  classes  of  China  and  India.  Among  these 
sacred  preachers,  the  Buddha,  Cakya-Mouni, 
known  in  China  under  the  name  of  Fo,  who  lived 
three  thousand  years  ago  and  v/hose  sermons 
brought  the  whole  of  China  back  into  the  path  of 
the  true  God,  and  the  Buddha  Gautama,  who 
lived  two  thousand  five-hundred  years  ago  and 
converted  nearly  half  of  the  Hindoos  to  the  word 
of  the  only  invisible  and  impersonal  God,  are 
particularly  venerated. 

"  Buddhism  is  divided  into  many  sects,  which 
differ  only  in  some  of  the  religious  ceremonies, 
the  basis  of  the  doctrine  being  the  same  in  all. 
The  Thibetan  Buddhists,  whom  we  call  Lamaists, 
separated  from  the  Foists  fifteen  hundred  years 
ago.  Until  then  Ave  had  formed  part  of  the  wor- 
shipers of  the  Buddha  F6  Cakya-Mouni,  who 
was  the  first  to  unite  all  the  laws  enacted  by  the 
different  Buddhas  at  the  time  of  the  great  schism 
among  the  Brahmans.  Later,  a  Mongolian,  Khu- 
tuktus,  translated  the  works  of  the  great  Buddha 
into  Chinese,  for  which  the  Emperor  of  China  re- 
warded him  with  the  title  of  Go-Chi  —  King's  pre- 
ceptor. After  his  death  this  title  was  bestowed 
on  the  Dalai-Lama  of  Thibet,  and  since  that 
epoch  the  incumbent  of  this  post  has  enjoyed  the 


90  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF   CHRIST. 

dignified  name  of  Go-Chi — in  fact,  our  religion 
itself  is  called  Lamaism  (Superior).  Red  monks 
and  yellow  monks  are  admitted.  The  former 
marry  and  recognize  the  authority  of  the  Bantsin, 
who  resides  at  Techow-Lumba  and  is  chief  of  the 
civil  administration  of  Thibet;  we  vellow  lamas 
take  vows  of  celibacy,  and  our  direct  chief  is  the 
Dalai-Lama.  This  constitutes  the  difference  be- 
tween these  two  religious  orders,  whose  ritual  is 
identical.'' 

''Do  they  all  organize  such  mysteries  as  I  have 
just  witnessed?" 

"  Yes,  with  few  exceptions.  These  feasts  were 
formerly  celebrated  with  solemn  pomp,  but  our 
gonpas  have  been  repeatedly  pillaged  and  our 
riches  stolen  since  the  conquest  of  the  Ladak, 
and  we  must  now  be  satisfied  with  white  garments 
and  bronze  utensils,  while  in  Thibet  nothing  is 
seen  but  gold  embroidery  and  gold  vessels." 

''In  a  recent  visit  to  one  of  your  gonpas  a 
lama  spoke  to  me  of  a  prophet,  or,  as  you  per- 
haps call  him,  a  Buddha  of  the  name  of  Issa.  Can 
you  tell  me  anything  of  him  ?"  I  asked,  grasping 
the  first  favorable  opportunity  of  broaching  the 
subject  that  was  of  paramount  interest  to  me. 

"The  name  of  Issa  is  greatly  respected  among 
the  Buddhists,"  was  the  reply,  "  though  little  is 
known  of  him  save  by  the  chief  lamas  who  have 


A   FEAST  IN  A  GONPA.  91 

read  the  parchments  relating  to  his  life.  We 
have  an  unlimited  number  of  Buddhas,  such  as 
Issa,  and  the  eighty-four  thousand  rolls  of  parch- 
ment in  existence  are  replete  with  details  of  them 
all;  but  few  men  have  read  the  one-hundredth 
part  of  these  records.  In  conformity  with  an 
established  custom,  no  pupil  or  lama  who  visits 
Lassa  fails  to  present  one  or  several  copies  of 
these  to  the  convent  to  which  he  belongs;  our 
gonpa,  being  among  the  fortunate  ones,  already 
possesses  a  large  number  of  manuscripts,  which  I 
read  in  my  leisure  hours.  Among  these  copies  I 
have  found  descriptions  of  the  life  and  deeds  of 
Issa,  who  preached  in  India  and  among  the  sons 
of  Israel,  and  who  was  afterward  put  to  death  by 
pagans  whose  descendants  adopted  the  doctrine 
he  taught,  the  doctrine  in  which  you  believe. 
The  Great  Buddha,  soul  of  the  universe,  is 
the  incarnation  of  Brahma;  he  remains  inert 
nearly  always,  containing  all  things  within  him 
since  the  origin  of  man,  and  his  breath  animates 
the  world.  He  abandoned  man  to  his  own 
strength;  yet,  at  certain  epochs,  he  emerges  from 
his  inaction  and  assumes  a  human  form,  that  he 
may  attempt  to  snatch  his  creatures  from  irre- 
mediable ruin.  In  the  course  of  his  terrestrial 
existence,  Buddha  creates  a  new  world  in  the 
midst  of  the  people  who  have  gone  astray,  then 


92  UNKNOWN    LIFE  OF   CHtllST. 

leaves  this  earth  to  again  become  an  invisible 
being  and  resume  his  life  of  perfect  felicity. 

''Three  thousand  years  ago  the  Great  Buddha 
incarnated  himself  in  the  person  of  the  celebrated 
I3rince,  Cakya-Mouni,  by  maintaining  and  propa- 
gating the  doctrines  of  his  twenty  incarnations. 
Two  thousand  five  hundred  years  ago  the  great 
soul  of  the  world  incarnated  himself  once  more  in 
Gautama,  building  the  foundations  of  a  new  world 
in  Burma,  Siam,  and  different  islands.  Shortly 
afterward,  thanks  to  the  perseverance  of  the  wise 
men  who  applied  themselves  to  the  propagation 
of  the  holy  doctrine,  Buddhism  began  to  pene- 
trate into  China  ;  and  about  the  year  2050,  under 
Ming-Ti,  of  the  Honi  dynasty,  the  doctrine  of 
Cakya-Mouni  was  finally  adopted  by  the  peoj)le. 
Simultaneously  with  the  apparition  of  Buddhism 
in  China,  the  doctrine  began  to  spread  among  the 
Israelites.  And  about  two  thousand  years  ago 
the  perfect  Being,  arousing  again  from  his  inac- 
tion for  a  period,  incarnated  himself  into  the  new- 
born child  of  a  poor  family  ;  he  willed  that  infant 
lips,  by  employing  popular  images,  might  en- 
lighten unfortunate  humanity  on  the  life  beyond 
the  grave,  and,  by  his  own  example,  bring  back 
men  to  the  true  way  and  into  the  path  that  might 
best  lead  them  to  original  moral  purity.  When 
the  sacred  child  had  attained  a  certain  age,  he  was 


A  FEAST  IN  A  GONPA,  93 

taken  to  India,  where,  until  he  attained  manhood, 
he  studied  the  laws  of  the  Great  Buddha  who 
resides  eternally  in  heaven." 

"In  what  tongue  are  written  the  principal  rolls 
relative  to  the  life  of  Issa  ?  "  I  asked,  rising,  for 
my  interesting  companion  was  beginning  to  show 
signs  of  fatigue,  and  had  set  a  small  prayer- wheel 
in  motion  to  put  an  end  to  the  conversation. 

''The  rolls  which  treat  of  the  life  of  Issa,  and 
which  were  brought  from  India  to  Nepal,  and 
from  Nepal  to  Thibet,  are  written  in  the  Pali 
tongue,  and  are  now  at  Lassa;  but  we  possess  one 
copy  in  our  own  tongue;  that  is  in  the  Thibetan 
language." 

"  How  is  Issa  looked  upon  in  Thibet  ?  Does  he 
bear  the  reputation  of  a  saint  ? " 

"The  people  ignore  his  very  existence;  the 
great  lamas,  who  have  studied  the  parchments 
relating  to  his  life,  alone  know  of  him.  But  as 
his  doctrine  does  not  constitute  a  canonical  part 
of  Buddhism,  and  the  worshipers  of  Issa  do  not 
acknowledge  the  authority  of  the  Dalai-Lama, 
this  prophet  —  like  many  of  his  kind  —  is  not 
recognized  as  one  of  the  principal  saints  in 
Thibet." 

"Would  you  be  committing  a  sin,  if  you  were 
to  read  these  copies  to  a  stranger  ? "     I  queried. 

"What  belongs  to  God,"  he  rej)lied,  "belongs 


94  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF  CHRIST. 

also  to  men.  It  is  our  duty  to  cheerfully  assist  ir 
the  propagation  of  his  doctrine;  but  I  do  not 
know  where  these  papers  are  to  be  found.  Should 
you  ever  again  visit  our  gonpa,  however,  I  will 
show  them  to  you  with  pleasure." 

We  were  interrupted  at  this  juncture  by  the 
entrance  of  two  monks,  who  said  a  few  words  — 
unintelligible  to  me  —  and  hastily  retired. 

''I  am  summoned  to  attend  the  sacrifices. 
Pray  excuse  me,"  said  the  lama,  with  a  bow, 
as  he  moved  toward  the  door. 

Nothing  remained  for  me  to  do  but  to  retire  to 
the  chamber  allotted  to  my  use;  where  I  sought 
my  bed,  after  partaking  of  food  and  milk,  and 
slept  soundly  till  morning. 

The  next  night  I  was  back  at  Leb,  racking  my 
brains  to  invent  a  pretext  to  again  visit  the 
convent. 

Two  days  later  I  dispatched  a  messenger  with 
an  alarm  clock,  a  watch,  and  a  thermometer, 
as  gifts  to  the  chief  lama,  with  the  information 
that,  before  leaving  the  Ladak,  I  would  probably 
return  to  the  convent,  in  the  hope  that  he  would 
not  refuse  to  let  me  see  the  book  which  had 
formed  the  subject  of  our  conversation. 

My  intention  was  to  go  to  Kashmir,  and  return 
to  Himis  sometime  later,  but  fate  decided  other- 
wise.    While   passing    along   the   foot   of    the 


A  FEAST  IN  A  GONPA.  96 

mountain,  on  which  is  perched  the  gonpa  Piatak, 
my  horse  stumbled,  throwing  me  violently  to  the 
ground  and  breaking  my  leg  above  the  knee.  It 
was  now  imjDossible  to  continue  my  journey;  and 
as  I  had  no  desire  to  return  to  Leh,  and  the  pros- 
pect of  begging  the  hospitality  of  the  gonj)a, 
which  is  a  mere  hovel,  was  anything  but  enchant- 
ing, I  ordered  my  servants  to  take  me  to  Himis, 
which  was  only  a  half -day' s  journey.  After  much 
intense  suffering,  my  leg  was  finally  bandaged, 
and  I  was  hoisted  into  the  saddle.  With  one 
man  supporting  my  injured  limb  and  another 
leading  my  horse  by  the  bridle,  we  started  slowly 
back,  reaching  Himis  at  a  late  hour  of  the  night. 

On  hearing  of  the  accident  that  had  befallen  me, 
the  monks  immediately  rushed  out  to  receive  me. 
With  infinite  precautions  I  was  borne  to  their  best 
chamber  and  deposited  on  a  mountain  of  soft  bed- 
ding, with  a  prayer- wheel  placed  at  my  side.  All 
this  was  done  under  the  direct  supervision  of  their 
chief,  who  affectionately  pressed  my  hand  when  I 
stretched  it  out  to  thank  him  for  his  kindness. 

The  succeeding  morning  1  incased  the  injured 
member  in  thin  boards  held  together  with  strings, 
and  did  my  best  to  remain  motionless.  A  favor- 
able result  was  soon  apparent,  and  two  days  later 
I  was  well  enough  to  undertake  a  slow  journey 
toward  India,  in  quest  of  a  physician.       ;, 


96  UNKNOWN   LIFE  OF  CHRIST. 

While  a  young  man  kept  the  prayer- wheel  in 
motion  by  my  bedside,  the  venerable  director  of 
the  gonpa  entertained  me  with  interesting 
accounts  of  their  belief  and  the  country  in  general, 
meanwhile  frequently  pulling  out  the  watch  and 
alaiTO  clock,  and  interrupting  his  discourse  to 
question  me  in  regard  to  their  use  and  the  man- 
ner of  winding  them  both.  Finally,  yielding  to 
my  earnest  solicitations,  he  brought  forth  two  big 
volumes  in  cardboard  covers,  with  leaves  yellowed 
by  the  lapse  of  time,  and  read  the  biography  of 
Issa,  which  I  carefully  copied  from  the  transla- 
tion of  my  interpreter.  This  curious  document  is 
written  in  the  form  of  isolated  verses,  which  fre- 
quently bear  no  connection  between  each  other. 

On  the  third  day  my  condition  was  favorable 
enough  to  permit  me  to  continue  my  journey,  and 
I  again  started  for  India  by  way  of  Kashmir. 
Twenty  long  days  of  excruciating  suffering  were 
spent  on  the  way;  but  by  means  of  a  letter  kindly 
sent  me  by  Monsieur  Peicheau,  a  Frenchman  — 
whom  I  now  take  the  opportunity  of  thanking  for 
his  courteous  hospitality — and  with  an  order  from 
the  grand-vizier  of  the  Maharaja  of  Kashmir  to 
the  authorities  to  furnish  me  with  bearers,  I 
finally  reached  Serinagur,  which  I  almost  imme- 
diately left  again  as  I  was  anxious  to  arrive  in 
India  before  the  first  snowfall. 


A  FEAST  IN  A  GONPA.  97 

At  Murree  I  met  another  kind  Frenchman. 
Count  Andre  de  Saint-Phall,  who  was  taking  a 
pleasure  trij)  through  Hindoostan.  Throughout 
the  whole  journey  we  made  together  to  Bombay, 
during  which  I  suffered  intolerable  pain  from  my 
broken  leg  and  the  consequent  fever,  the  young 
count  showed  himself  full  of  the  most  tender  soli- 
citude for  me.  My  heart  is  still  filled  with  sin- 
cere gratitude  toward  him;  and  neither  shall  I 
ever  forget  the  friendly  attentions  showered  upon 
me  on  my  arrival  in  Bombay  by  the  Marquis  de 
Mores,  the  Viscount  de  Breteuil,  Monsieur  Monod 
of  the  Comptoir  d'Escompte,  Monsieur  Moet,  con- 
sul, and  all  the  Frenchmen  of  that  sympathetic 
French  colony. 

I  have  long  cherished  the  project  of  publishing 
the  memoirs  on  the  life  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  1 
found  at  Himis,  and  of  which  I  have  already 
spoken;  but  affairs  of  all  sorts  have  completely 
absorbed  my  time  until  this  day.  It  is  only  after 
many  sleepless  nights  spent  in  the  classification 
of  all  my  notes,  after  grouping  the  verses  in  con- 
formity with  the  course  of  the  narrative,  and 
imprinting  a  character  of  unity  to  the  entire 
work,  that  I  now  finally  consent  to  give  publica- 
tion to  the  curious  manuscript  that  follows. 


THE  LIFE   OF  SAINT  ISSA. 

THE  BEST  OF  THE  SONS  OP  MEN. 

I. 

1.  The  earth  has  trembled  and  the  heavens 
have  wept,  because  of  the  great  crime  just  com- 
mitted in  the  land  of  Israel. 

2.  For  they  have  put  to  torture  and  executed 
the  great  just  Issa,  in  whom  dwelt  the  spirit  of 
the  world. 

3.  Which  was  incarnated  in  a  simple  mortal, 
that  men  might  be  benefited  and  evil  thoughts 
exterminated  thereby. 

4.  And  that  it  might  bring  back  to  a  life  of 
peace,  of  love,  and  happiness,  man  degraded  by 
sin,  and  recall  to  him  the  only  and  indivisible 
Creator  whose  mercy  is  boundless  and  infinite. 

(88) 


THE   LIFE  OF  SAINT  ISSA.  99 

5.   This  is  what  is  related  on  this  subject  by 
the  merchants  who  have  come  from  Israel. 


IL 


1.  The  people  of  Israel,  who  inhabited  a  most 
fertile  land,  yielding  two  crops  a  year,  and  who 
possessed  immense  flocks,  excited  the  wrath  of 
God  through  their  sins. 

2.  And  he  inflicted  upon  them  a  terrible  pun- 
ishment by  taking  away  their  land,  their  flocks, 
and  all  they  possessed;  and  Israel  was  reduced 
to  slavery  by  the  rich  and  powerful  Pharaohs 
who  then  reigned  in  Egypt. 

3.  The  latter  treated  the  Israelites  more  cruelly 
than  animals,  loading  them  with  chains  and  put- 
ting them  to  the  roughest  labor;  they  covered 
their  bodies  with  bruises  and  wounds,  and  denied 
them  food  and  shelter, 

4.  That  they  might  be  kept  in  a  state  of  con- 
tinual terror  and  robbed  of  all  semblance  of 
humanity; 


100  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF   CHRIST. 

5.  And  in  their  dire  distress,  the  children  of 
Israel,  remembering  their  heavenly  protector, 
addressed  their  prayers  to  him  and  implored  his 
assistance  and  mercy. 

6.  An  illustrious  Pharaoh  then  reigned  in 
Egypt,  who  had  become  celebrated  for  his  numer- 
ous victories,  the  great  riches  he  had  amassed, 
and  the  vast  palaces  which  his  slaves  had  erected 
with  their  own  hands. 

7.  This  Pharaoh  had  two  sons,  the  younger  of 
whom  was  called  Mossa;  and  the  learned  Israel- 
ites taught  him  divers  sciences. 

8.  And  Mossa  was  beloved  throughout  the  land 
of  Egypt  for  his  goodness  and  the  compassion  he 
displayed  for  them  that  suffered. 

9.  Seeing  that,  notwithstanding  the  intolerable 
sufferings  they  endured,  the  Israelites  refused  to 
abandon  their  God  to  worship  those  created  by 
the  hands  of  man  and  which  were  the  gods  of  the 
%yptians. 

10.  Mossa  believed  in  their  indivisible  God, 


THE  LIFE  OF   SAINT   ISSA.  lOl 

wlio  did  not  allow  their  flagging   strength   to 
falter. 

11.  And  the  Israelite  preceptors  encouraged 
Mossa's  ardor  and  had  recourse  to  him,  begging 
him  to  intercede  with  Pharaoh,  his  father,  in 
favor  of  his  co-religionists. 

12.  Prince  Mossa  pleaded  with  his  father  to 
soften  the  lot  of  these  unhappy  people,  but 
Pharaoh  became  angry  with  him  and  only 
imposed  more  hardships  upon  his  slaves. 

13.  It  came  to  pass,  not  long  after,  that  a  great 
calamity  fell  upon  Egypt;  the  plague  decimated 
the  young  and  the  old,  the  strong  and  the  sick; 
and  Pharaoh  believed  he  had  incurred  the  wrath 
of  his  own  gods  against  him; 

14.  But  the  prince  Mossa  declared  to  his  father, 
that  it  was  the  God  of  his  slaves  who  was  inter- 
fering in  favor  of  his  unhappy  people  and  punish- 
ing the  Egyptians; 

15.  Pharaoh  commanded  Mossa,  his  son,  to 
gather  all  the  slaves  of  Jewish  race,  to  lead  them 


102  UNKNOWN  LIFE  OF   CHRIST. 

away  to  a  great  distance  from  the  capital  and 
found  another  city,  where  he  should  remain  with 
them. 

16.  Mossa  announced  to  the  Hebrew  slaves  that 
he  had  delivered  them  in  the  name  of  their  God, 
the  God  of  Israel;  and  he  went  with  them  out  of 
the  city  and  of  the  land  of  Egypt. 

17.  He  therefore  led  them  into  the  land  they 
had  lost  through  their  many  sins;  he  gave  them 
laws  and  enjoined  them  to  always  pray  to  the 
invisible  Creator  whose  goodness  is  infinite. 

18.  At  the  death  of  the  prince  Mossa,  the  Is- 
raelites rigorously  observed  his  laws,  and  God 
recompensed  them  for  the  wrongs  they  had  suf- 
fered in  Egypt. 

19.  Their  kingdom  became  the  most  powerful 
in  all  the  world,  their  kings  gained  renown  for 
their  treasures,  and  a  long  period  of  peace  pre- 
vailed among  the  children  of  Israel. 

III. 

1.   The  fame  of  the  riches  of  Israel  spread  over 


THE  LIFE   OF   SAINT   ISSA.  103 

all  the  world,  and  the  neighboring  nations  envied 
them. 

2.  But  the  victorious  arms  of  the  Hebrews 
were  directed  by  the  Most  High  himself,  and  the 
pagans  dared  not  attack  tliem. 

3.  Unhappily  as  man  does  not  always  obey 
even  his  own  will,  the  fidelity  of  the  Israelites  to 
their  God  was  not  of  long  duration. 

4.  They  began  by  forgetting  all  the  favors  he 
had  showered  upon  them,  invoked  his  name  on 
rare  occasions  only,  and  begged  protection  of 
magicians  and  wizards; 

6.  The  kings  and  rulers  substituted  their  own 
laws  for  those  that  Mossa  had  prepared;  the 
temple  of  God  and  the  i:)ractice  of  religion  were 
abandoned,  the  nation  gave  itself  up  to  pleasures 
and  lost  its  original  purity. 

6.  Many  centuries  had  elapsed  since  their 
departure  from  Egypt,  when  God  again  resolved 
to  punish  them. 

7.  Strangers  began  to  invade  the  land  of  Israel, 


104  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF   CHRIST. 

devastating  the  fields,   destroying  the  villages, 
and  taking  the  inhabitants  into  captivity. 

8.  A  throng  of  pagans  came  from  over  the  sea, 
from  the  country  of  Romeles;  they  subjected  the 
Hebrews,  and  the  commanders  of  the  army  gov- 
erned them  by  authority  of  Caesar. 

9.  The  temples  were  destroyed,  the  people 
were  forced  to  abandon  their  worship  of  the 
invisible  God  and  to  sacrifice  victims  to  pagan 
idols. 

10.  Warriors  were  made  of  the  nobles;  the 
women  were  ravished  from  their  husbands;  the 
lower  classes,  reduced  to  slavery,  were  sent  by 
thousands  beyond  the  seas. 

11.  As  to  the  children,  all  were  put  to  the 
sword;  soon,  through  all  the  land  of  Israel, 
nothing  was  heard  but  weeping  and  wailing. 

12.  In  this  dire  distress  the  people  remembered 
their  powerful  God;  they  implored  his  mercy 
and  besought  him  to  forgive  them;  our  Father, 
in  his  inexhaustible  goodness,  heeded  their 
prayers. 


THE  LIFE  OF  SAINT  IS8A.  105 


IV. 


1.  And  now  the  time  had  come,  which  the 
Supreme  Judge,  in  his  boundless  clemency,  had 
chosen  to  incarnate  himself  in  a  human  being. 

2.  And  the  Eternal  Spirit,  which  dwelt  in  a 
state  of  complete  inertness  and  supreme  beati- 
tude, awakened  and  detached  itself  from  the 
Eternal  Being  for  an  indefinite  period, 

3.  In  order  to  indicate,  in  assuming  the  human 
form,  the  means  of  identifying  ourselves  with  the 
Divinity  and  of  attaining  eternal  felicity. 

4.  And  to  teach  us,  by  his  example,  how  we 
may  reach  a  state  of  moral  purity  and  separate 
the  soul  from  its  gross  envelope,  that  it  may 
attain  the  perfection  necessary  to  enter  the  King- 
dom of  Heaven  which  is  immutable  and  where 
eternal  happiness  reigns. 

5.  Soon  after,  a  wonderful  child  was  born  in 
the  land  of  Israel;  God  himself,  through  the 
mouth  of  this  child,  spoke  of  the  nothingness  of 
the  body  and  of  the  grandeur  of  the  soul. 


106  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF  CHRIST. 

6.  The  parents  of  this  new-born  child  were  poor 
people,  belonging  by  birth  to  a  family  of  exalted 
piety,  which  disregarded  its  former  worldly  great- 
ness to  magnify  the  name  of  the  Creator  and 
thank  him  for  the  misfortunes  with  which  he  was 
pleased  to  try  them. 

7.  To  reward  them  for  their  perseverance  in 
the  path  of  truth,  God  blessed  the  first-born  of 
this  family;  he  chose  him  as  his  elect,  and  sent 
him  forth  to  raise  those  that  had  fallen  into  evil, 
and  to  heal  them  that  suffered. 

8.  The  divine  child,  to  whom  was  given  the 
name  of  Issa,  commenced  even  in  bis  most  tender 
years  to  speak  of  the  one  and  indivisible  God, 
exhorting  the  people  that  had  strayed  from  the 
path  of  righteousness  to  repent  and  purify  them- 
selves of  the  sins  they  had  committed. 

9.  People  came  from  all  parts  to  listen  and 
marvel  at  the  words  of  wisdom  that  fell  from  his 
infant  lips;  all  the  Israelites  united  in  proclaim- 
ing that  the  Eternal  Spirit  dwelt  within  this 
child. 

10.  When  Issa  had  attained  the  age  of  thir- 
teen, when  an  Israelite  should  take  a  wife, 


THE  LIFE  OF  SAINT  ISSA.  107 

11.  The  house  in  which  his  parents  dwelt  and 
earned  their  livelihood  in  modest  labor,  became 
a  meeting  place  for  the  rich  and  noble,  who 
desired  to  gain  for  a  son-in-law  the  young  Issa, 
already  celebrated  for  his  edifying  discourses  in 
the  name  of  the  Almighty. 

12.  It  was  then  that  Issa  clandestinely  left  his 
father's  house,  went  out  of  Jerusalem,  and,  in 
company  with  some  merchants,  traveled  toward 
Sindh 

13.  That  he  might  perfect  himself  in  the  divine 
word  and  study  the  laws  of  the  great  Buddhas.    . 


1.  In  the  course  of  his  fourteenth  year,  young 
Issa,  blessed  by  Grod,  journeyed  beyond  the  Sindh 
and  settled  among  the  Aryas  in  the  beloved 
country  of  God. 

2.  The  fame  of  his  name  spread  along  the 
Northern  Sindh.  When  he  passed  through  the 
country  of  the  five  rivers  and  the  Radjipoutan, 
the  worshipers  of  the  god  Djaine  begged  him  to 
remain  in  their  midst. 


108  UNKNOWN  LIFE   OF  CHRIST. 

3.  But  he  left  the  misguided  admirers  of 
Djaine  and  visited  Juggernaut,  in  the  province 
of  Orsis,  where  the  remains  of  Viassa-Krichna 
rest,  and  where  he  received  a  joyous  welcome 
from  the  white  priests  of  Brahma. 

4.  They  taught  him  to  read  and  understand 
the  Vedas,  to  heal  by  prayer,  to  teach  and 
explain  the  Holy  Scripture,  to  cast  out  evil 
spirits  from  the  body  of  man  and  give  him 
back  human  semblance. 


5.  He  spent  six  years  in  Juggernaut,  Raje- 
griha,  Benares,  and  the  other  holy  cities;  all 
loved  him,  for  Issa  lived  in  peace  with  the 
Vaisyas  and  the  Soudras,  to  whom  he  taught  the 
Holy  Scripture. 

6.  But  the  Brahmans  and  the  Kshatriyas 
declared  that  the  Great  Para- Brahma  forbade 
them  to  approach  those  whom  he  had  created 
from  his  entrails  and  from  his  feet : 

7.  That  the  Vaisyas  were  authorized  to  listen 
only  to  the  reading  of  the  Vedas,  and  that  never 
save  on  feast  days. 


THE  LIFE  OF   SAINT   ISSA.  109 

8.  That  the  Soudras  were  not  only  forbidden 
to  attend  the  reading  of  the  Vedas,  but  to  gaze 
upon  them  even;  for  their  condition  was  to  per- 
petually serve  and  act  as  slaves  to  the  Brahmans, 
the  Kshatriyas,  and  even  to  the  Vaisyas. 

9.  ''Death  alone  can  free  them  from  servi- 
tude," said  Para-Brahma.  ''Leave  them,  there- 
fore, and  worship  with  us  the  gods  who  will  show 
their  anger  against  you  if  you  disobey  them." 

10.  But  Issa  would  not  heed  them;  and  going 
to  the  Soudras,  preached  against  the  Brahmans 
and  the  Kshatriyas. 

11.  He  strongly  denounced  the  men  who  robbed 
their  fellow-beings  of  their  rights  as  men,  saying: 
"God  the  Father  establishes  no  difference  between 
his  children,  who  are  all  equally  dear  to  him." 

12.  Issa  denied  the  divine  origin  of  the  Vedas 
and  the  Pouranas,  declaring  to  his  followers 
that  one  law  had  been  given  to  men  to  guide 
them  in  their  actions. 

13.  "Fear  thy  God,  bow  down  the  knee  before 


110  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF   CHRIST. 

Him  only,  and  to  Him  only  must  thy  offerings  be 
made." 

14.  Issa  denied  the  Trimourti  and  the  incarna- 
tion of  Para-Brahma  in  Vishnou,  Siva,  and  other 
gods,  saying: 

15.  ''The  Eternal  Judge,  the  Eternal  Spirit, 
composes  the  one  and  indivisible  soul  of  the  uni- 
verse, which  alone  creates,  contains,  and  animates 
the  whole." 

16.  "He  alone  has  willed  and  created,  he  alone 
has  existed  from  eternity  and  will  exist  without 
end;  he  has  no  equal  neither  in  the  heavens  nor 
on  this  earth." 


17.  "The  Great  Creator  shares  his  power  with 
no  one,  still  less  with  inanimate  objects  as  you 
have  been  taught,  for  he  alone  possesses  supreme 
power." 

18.  "He  willed  it,  and  the  world  appeared;  by 
one  divine  thought,  he  united  the  water's  and 
separated  them  from  the  dry  portion  of  the 
globe.     He  is  the  cause  of  the  mysterious  life  of 


THE  LIFE  OF  SAINT  ISSA.  Ill 

man,  in  whom  he  has  breathed  a  part  of  his 
being." 

19.  "And  he  has  subordinated  to  man,  the 
land,  the  waters,  the  animals,  and  all  that  he  has 
created,  and  which  he  maintains  in  immutable 
order  by  fixing  the  duration  of  each." 

20.  ''  The  wrath  of  God  shall  soon  be  let  loose 
on  man,  for  he  has  forgotten  his  Creator  and  filled 
his  temples  with  abominations,  and  he  adores  a 
host  of  creatures  which  God  has  subordinated  to 
him." 

21.  "For,  to  be  pleasing  to  stones  and  metals, 
he  sacrifices  human  beings  in  whom  dwells  a  part 
of  the  spirit  of  the  Most  High." 

22.  "For  he  humiliates  them  that  labor  by  the 
sweat  of  their  brow  to  gain  the  favor  of  an  idler 
who  is  seated  at  a  sumptuously  spread  table." 

23.  ' '  They  that  deprive  their  brothers  of  divine 
happiness  shall  themselves  be  deprived  of  it,  and 
the  Brahmans  and  the  Kshatriyas  shall  become 
the  Soudras  of  the  Soudras  with  whom  the  Eternal 
shall  dwell  eternally." 


112  UNKNOWN  LIFE   OF  CHRIST. 

24.  ^'For  on  the  day  of  the  Last  Judgment, 
the  Soudras  and  the  Vaisyas  shall  be  forgiv^en 
because  of  their  ignorance,  while  God  shall  visit 
his  wrath  on  them  that  have  arrogated  his 
rights." 

25.  The  Vaisyas  and  the  Soudras  were  struck 
with  admiration,  and  demanded  of  Issa  how  they 
should  pray  to  secure  their  happiness. 

26.  "Do  not  worship  idols,  for  they  do  not 
hear  you;  do  not  listen  to  the  Vedas,  where  the 
truth  is  perverted;  do  not  believe  yourself  first  in 
all  things,  and  do  not  humiliate  your  neighbor." 

27.  ''Help  the  poor,  assist  the  weak,  harm  no 
i)ne,  do  not  covet  what  you  have  not  and  what 
you  see  in  the  possession  of  others." 


VI. 


1.  The  white  priests  and  the  warriors  becoming 
cognizant  of  the  discourse  addressed  by  Issa  to 
the  Soudras,  resolved  upon  his  death  and  sent 
their  servants  for  this  purpose  in  search  of  the 
young  prophet. 


THE  LIFE  OF  SAINT  IS8A.  113 

2.  But  Issa,  warned  of  this  danger  by  the 
SoudraSj  fled  in  the  night  from  Juggernaut, 
gained  the  mountains,  and  took  refuge  in  the 
Oothamide  Country,  the  birth-place  of  the  great 
Buddha  Cakya-Mouni,  among  the  people  who 
adored  the  only  and  sublime  Brahma. 

3.  Having  perfectly  learned  the  Pali  tongue, 
the  just  Issa  applied  himself  to  the  study  of  the 
sacred  rolls  of  Soutras. 

4.  Six  years  later,  Issa,  whom  the  Buddha  had 
chosen  to  spread  his  holy  word,  could  perfectly 
explain  the  sacred  rolls. 

5.  He  then  left  Nepal  and  the  Himalaya 
Mountains,  descended  into  the  valley  of  Eajipou- 
tan  and  went  westward,  preaching  to  divers  peo- 
ple of  the  supreme  perfection  of  man, 

6.  And  of  the  good  we  must  do  unto  others, 
which  is  the  surest  means  of  quickly  merging 
ourselves  in  the  Eternal  Spirit.  "He  who  shall 
have  recovered  his  primitive  purity  at  death," 
said  Issa,  '^  shall  have  obtained  the  forgiveness  of 
his  sins,  and  shall  have  the  right  to  contemplate 
the  majestic  figure  of  God." 

8 


114  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF  CHRIST. 

7.  In  traversing  the  pagan  territories,  the 
divine  Issa  taught  the  people  that  the  adoration  of 
visible  gods  was  contrary  to  the  laws  of  nature. 

8.  ''For  man,"  said  he,  "has  not  been  favored 
with  the  sight  of  the  image  of  God  nor  the  ability 
to  construct  a  host  of  divinities  resembling  the 
Eternal." 

9.  ' '  Furthermore,  it  is  incompatible  with  the 
human  conscience  to  think  less  of  the  grandeur  of 
divine  purity  than  of  animals;  or  of  works  madf 
by  the  hand  of  man  from  stone  or  metal." 

10.  "The  Eternal  Legislator  is  one;  there  is  no 
God  but  him;  he  has  shared  the  world  with  no 
one,  neither  has  he  confided  his  intentions  to 
anyone. 


55 


11.  "Just  as  a  father  may  deal  toward  his 
children,  so  shall  God  judge  men  after  death 
according  to  his  merciful  laws;  never  will  he 
humiliate  his  child  by  causing  his  soul  to  emi- 
grate, as  in  a  purgatory,  into  the  body  of  an  ani- 
mal." 

12.  "The  heavenly  law,"  said  the  Creator 
through  the  lips  of  Issa,  "is  averse  to  the  sacri- 


THE  LIFE   OF   SAII^T  ISSA.  115 

fice  of  human  victims  to  a  statue  or  animal;  for 
I  have  sacrificed  to  man  all  the  animals  and 
every  thing  the  world  contains." 

13.  ''Everything  has  been  sacrificed  to  man, 
who  is  directly  and  closely  linked  to  Me,  his 
Father;  therefore,  he  that  shall  have  robbed  Me 
of  My  child  shall  be  severely  judged  and  pun- 
ished according  to  the  divine  law." 

14.  "Man  is  as  nothing  before  the  Eternal 
Judge,  to  the  same  degree  that  the  animal  is 
before  man." 

15.  ''Therefore,  I  say  to  you,  abandon  your 
idols  and  perform  no  ceremonies  that  separate 
you  from  your  Father  and  bind  you  to  priests 
from  whom  the  face  of  heaven  is  turned  away." 

16.  "For  it  is  they  who  have  allured  you  from 
the  true  God,  and  whose  superstitions  and  cruelty 
are  leading  you  to  perversion  of  the  intellect  and 
the  loss  of  all  moral  sense." 


VII. 

1.   The  words  of  Issa  spread  among  the  pagans, 


11^  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF   CHEIST. 

in  the  countries  through  which  he  traveled,  and 
the  inhabitants  abandoned  their  idols. 

2.  Seeing  which,  the  priests  demanded  from 
him  who  glorified  the  name  of  the  true  God, 
proofs  of  the  accusations  he  brought  against 
them  and  demonstration  of  the  worthlessness  of 
idols  in  the  presence  of  the  people. 

3.  And  Issa  replied  to  them :     "If  your  idols 
and  your  animals  are  mighty,  and  really  possess 
a  supernatural  power,  let  them  annihilate  me  on  ( 
the  spot!" 

4.  *' Perform  a  miracle,"  retorted  the  priests, 
"and  let  thy  God  confound  our  own,  if  they  are 
loathsome  to  him." 

5.  But  Issa  then  said:  "The  miracles  of  our 
God  began  when  the  universe  was  created;  they 
occur  each  day,  each  instant;  whosoever  does  not 
see  them  is  deprived  of  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
gifts  of  life." 

6.  "And  it  is  not  against  pieces  of  inanimate 
stone,  metal,  or  wood,  that  the  wrath  of  God 
shall  find  free  vent,  but  it  shall  fall  upon  man, 


THE  LIFE  OF  SAINT  IS8A.  117 

who,  in  order  to  be  saved,  should  destroy  all  the 
idols  they  have  raised." 

7.  ''Just  as  a  stone  and  a  grain  of  sand,  worth- 
less in  themselves  to  man,  await  with  resignation 
the  moment  when  he  shall  take  and  make  them 
into  something  useful." 

8.  "So  should  man  await  the  great  favor  to  be 
granted  him  by  God  in  honoring  him  with  a 
decision." 

9.  "  But  woe  be  to  you,  adversary  of  man,  if  it 
be  not  a  favor  that  you  await,  but  rather  the 
wrath  of  Divinity;  woe  be  to  you  if  you  await 
until  it  attests  its  power  through  miracles ! " 

10.  "  For  it  is  not  the  idols  that  shall  be  anni- 
hilated in  His  wrath,  but  those  that  have  raised 
them;  their  hearts  shall  be  the  prey  of  everlast- 
ing fire,  and  their  lacerated  bodies  shall  serve  as 
food  for  wild  beasts." 

11.  "  Grod  shall  drive  away  the  contaminated 
ones  of  his  flocks,  but  shall  take  back  to  himself 
those  that  have  strayed  because  they  miscon- 
ceived the  heavenly  atom  which  dwelt  in  them." 


118  UNKNOWN   LIFE  OF  CHRIST. 

12.  Seeing  the  powerlessness  of  their  priests, 
the  pagans  believed  the  words  of  Issa,  and  fear- 
ing the  wrath  of  the  Divinity,  broke  their  idols 
into  fragments;  as  to  the  priests,  they  fled  to 
escape  the  vengeance  of  the  people. 

13.  And  Issa  also  taught  the  pagans  not  to 
strive  to  see  the  Eternal  Spirit  with  their  own  eyes, 
but  to  endeavor  to  feel  it  in  their  hearts,  and,  by 
a  truly  pure  soul,  to  make  themselves  worthy  of 
its  favors. 

14.  ''Not  only  must  you  desist  from  offering 
human  sacrifices,"  said  he,  '' but  you  must  immo- 
late no  animal  to  which  life  has  been  given,  for 
all  things  have  been  created  for  the  benefit  of 


15.  ''  Do  not  take  whait  belongs  to  others,  for 
it  would  be  robbing  your  neighbor  of  the  goods 
he  has  acquired  by  the  sweat  of  his  brow." 

16.  "Deceive  no  one,  that  you  may  not  your- 
self be  deceived;  strive  to  justify  yourself  before 
the  last  judgment,  for  it  will  then  be  too  late." 

17.  ''Do  not  give  yourself  up  to  debauchery, 
for  it  is  a  violation  of  the  laws  of  God." 


i 


THE  LIFE  OF   SAINT  ISSA.  119 

18.  "You  shall  attain  supreme  beatitude,  not 
only  by  purifying  yourself,  but  also  by  leading 
others  into  the  path  that  shall  permit  them  to 
regain  primitive  perfection." 


VIII. 

1.  The  fame  of  Issa's  sermons  spread  to  the 
neighboring  countries,  and,  when  he  reached 
Persia,  the  priests  were  terrified  and  forbade  the 
inhabitants  to  listen  to  him. 

2.  But  when  they  saw  that  all  the  villages 
welcomed  him  with  Joy,  and  eagerly  listened  to 
his  preaching,  they  caused  his  arrest  and  brought 
him  before  the  high-priest,  where  he  was  sub- 
mitted to  the  following  interrogatory: 

3.  ''Who  is  this  new  God  of  whom  thou 
speaketh?  Dost  thou  not  know,  unhappy  man 
that  thou  art,  that  Saint  Zoroaster  is  the  only 
just  one  admitted  to  the  honor  of  receiving  com- 
munications from  the  Supreme  Being, 

4.  ''Who  has  commanded  the  angels  to  draw 
up  in  writing  the  word  of  God,  laws  that  were 
given  to  Zoroaster  in  paradise  ? " 


120  UNKNOWN    LIFE    OF   CHRIST. 

6.  ^'Who  then  art  thou  that  darest  to  blas- 
pheme our  God  and  sow  doubt  in  the  hearts  of 
believers  ?" 

6.  And  Issa  replied:  ''It  is  not  of  a  new  god 
that  I  speak,  but  of  our  heavenly  Father,  who 
existed  before  the  beginning  and  will  still  be 
after  the  eternal  end." 

7.  *'  It  was  of  him  I  spoke  to  the  people,  who, 
even  as  an  innocent  child,  can  not  yet  understand 
God  by  the  mere  strength  of  their  intelligence 
and  penetrate  his  spiritual  and  divine  sublimity." 

8.  ''But,  as  a  new-born  child  recognizes  the 
maternal  breast  even  in  obscurity,  so  your  people, 
induced  in  error  by  your  erroneous  doctrines  and 
religious  ceremonies,  have  instinctively  recog- 
nized their  Father  in  the  Father  of  whom  I  am 
the  prophet." 

9.  "The  Eternal  Being  says  to  your  people 
through  the  intermediary  of  my  mouth :  '  You 
shall  not  adore  the  sun,  for  it  is  only  a  part  of 
the  world  I  have  created  for  man.'  " 

10.  "  The  sun  rises  that  it  may  warm  you  dur- 


THE   LIFE  OF   SAINT  ISSA.  121 

ing  your  labor;  it  sets  that  it  may  give  you  the 
hours  of  rest  I  have  myself  fixed." 

11.  ''It  is  to  Me,  and  to  Me  only,  that  you  owe 
all  you  possess,  all  that  is  around  you,  whether 
above  or  beneath  you." 

12.  ' '  But, ' '  interjected  the  priests,  ' '  how  could 
a  nation  live  according  to  the  laws  of  justice,  if 
it  possessed  no  preceptors  ? " 

13.  Then  Issa  replied  :  ''As  long  as  the  people 
had  no  priests,  they  were  governed  by  the  law  of 
nature  and  retained  their  candor  of  soul." 

14.  "Their  souls  were  in  God,  and  to  com- 
municate with  the  Father,  they  had  recourse  to 
the  intermediary  of  no  idol  or  animal,  nor  to  fire, 
as  you  practice  here." 

15.  "  You  claim  that  we  must  worship  the  sun, 
the  genius  of  Good  and  that  of  Evil;  well,  yom 
doctrine  is  an  abomination,  I  say  to  you,  the  sun 
acts  not  spontaneously,  but  by  the  will  of  the 
Invisible  Creator  who  has  given  it  existence, 

16.  "And  who  has  willed  that  this  orb  should 


122  UNKNOWN  LIFE  OP  CHEIST. 

light  the  day  and  warm  the  labor  and  the  crops  of 


17.  '^  The  Eternal  Spirit  is  the  soul  of  all  that 
is  animated;  you  commit  a  grievous  sin  in  divid- 
ing it  into  the  spirit  of  Evil  and  the  spirit  of  Good, 
for  there  is  no  God  save  that  of  good, 

18.  ''Who,  like  the  father  of  a  family,  does 
good  only  to  his  children,  forgiving  all  their 
faults  if  they  repent  of  them." 

19.  "And  the  spirit  of  Evil  dwells  on  this 
earth,  in  the  heart  of  men  who  turn  the  children 
of  God  from  the  right  path." 

20.  ''Therefore  I  say  to  you,  beware  of  the  day 
of  judgment,  for  God  will  inflict  a  terrible  pun- 
ishment on  all  who  have  turned  his  children  from 
the  right  path  and  filled  them  with  superstitions 
and  prejudices," 

21.  "On  them  that  have  blinded  the  seeing, 
transmitted  contagion  to  the  sound  of  health, 
and  taught  the  adoration  of  things  which  God 
has  subjected  to  man  for  his  own  good  and  to  aid 
him  in  his  labor." 


THE  LIFE  OF  SAINT  ISSA.  123 

22.  ''Your  doctrine  is  therefore  tlie  fruit  of 
your  errors,  for,  in  desiring  to  approach  the  God 
of  Truth,  you  have  created  false  gods." 

23.  After  listening  to  him,  the  wise  men 
resolved  to  do  him  no  harm.  In  the  night,  while 
the  city  was  wrapped  in  slumber,  they  conducted 
him  outside  the  walls  and  left  him  on  the  high- 
vvay,  hoping  that  he  might  soon  become  the  prey 
of  wild  beasts. 

24.  But,  being  protected  by  the  Lord  our  God, 
Saint  Issa  continued  his  way  unmolested. 


IX. 


1.  Issa,  whom  the  Creator  had  chosen  to  recall 
the  true  God  to  the  people  that  were  plunged  in 
depravities,  was  twenty-nine  years  of  age  when 
he  arrived  in  the  land  of  Israel. 

2.  Since  the  departure  of  Issa,  the  pagans  had 
heaped  still  more  atrocious  sufferings  on  the 
Israelites,  and  the  latter  were  a  prey  to  the 
deepest  gloom. 


124  UNKNOWN   LIFE    OF   CHRIST. 

3.  Many  among  them  had  already  begun  to 
desert  the  laws  of  their  God  and  those  of  Mossa, 
in  the  hope  of  softening  their  harsh  conquerors. 

4.  In  the  presence  of  this  situation,  Issa 
exhorted  his  compatriots  not  to  despair,  because 
the  day  of  the  redemption  of  sins  was  near,  and 
he  confirmed  their  belief  in  the  God  of  their 
fathers. 

5.  *' Children,  do  not  yield  to  despair,"  said 
the  Heavenly  Father  through  the  mouth  of  Issa, 
"for  I  have  heard  your  voices,  and  your  cries 
have  ascended  to  me." 

6.  "Weep  not,  O  my  beloved,  for  your  sobs 
have  touched  the  heart  of  your  Father,  and  he 
has  forgiven  you  as  he  forgave  your  ancestors." 

7.  "Do  not  abandon  yoar  families  to  plunge 
into  debauchery,  do  not  lose  the  nobility  of  your 
sentiments  and  worship  idols  that  will  remain 
deaf  to  your  voices." 

8.  "Fill  my  temple  with  your  hopes  and  your 
patience,  and  do  not  abjure  the  religion  of  your 
fathers,  for  I  alone  have  guided  them  and  heaped 
blessings  upon  them." 


THE  LIFE  OF  SAINT  ISSA.  126 

9.  "Raise  them  that  have  fallen,  feed  them 
that  are  hungry,  and  help  them  that  are  sick, 
that  you  may  all  be  pure  and  just  on  the  day  of 
the  last  judgment  that  I  am  preparing  for  you." 

10.  The  Israelites  flocked  to  hear  the  words  of 
Issa,  asking  him  where  they  should  thank  the 
Heavenly  Father,  since  their  enemies  had  razed 
their  temples  and  laid  violent  hands  on  their 
sacred  vessels. 

11.  Issa  replied  to  them  that  God  did  not  speak 
of  temples  built  by  the  hands  of  men,  but  that  he 
meant  thereby  the  human  heart,  which  is  the 
true  temple  of  God. 

12.  '^  Enter  into  your  temple,  into  your  own 
heart,  illuminate  it  with  good  thoughts,  patience, 
and  the  unflinching  confidence  you  should  place 
in  your  Father." 

13.  ''And  your  sacred  vessels  are  your  hands 
and  your  eyes;  look  and  do  what  is  agreeable  to 
God,  for,  in  doing  good  to  your  neighbor,  you 
perform  a  rite  that  embellishes  the  temple  in 
which  dwells  the  One  who  has  given  you  life." 


126  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF  CHRIST. 

14.  ''For  God  has  created  you  in  his  image; 
innocent,  pure  of  soul,  with  a  heart  filled  with 
kindness,  and  destined,  not  to  the  conception  of 
evil  projects,  but  to  be  the  sanctuary  of  love  and 
justice." 

15.  ''Do  not  therefore  sully  your  hearts,  I 
say  to  you,  for  the  Eternal  Being  dwells  there 
always." 

16.  "If  you  wish  to  accomplish  works  stamped 
with  love  and  piety,  do  them  with  an  open  heart, 
and  let  not  your  actions  be  inspired  by  the  hope 
of  gain  or  by  thought  of  profit." 

17.  "For  such  deeds  would  not  contribute  to 
your  salvation,  and  you  would  then  fall  into  a 
state  of  moral  degradation  in  which  theft,  false- 
hood, and  murder,  seem  like  generous  actions." 


X. 


1.  Saint  Issa  went  from  place  to  place  strength- 
ening, by  the  word  of  God,  the  courage  of  the 
Israelites,  who  were  ready  to  succumb  under  the 
weight  of  their  desx)air,  and  thousands  followed 
him  to  hear  his  preaching. 


THE  LIFE   OF  SAINT  ISSA.  127 

2.  But  the  rulers  of  the  cities  feared  him,  and 
word  was  sent  to  the  Governor,  who  resided  in 
Jerusalem,  that  a  man  named  Issa  had  come  into 
the  country,  that  his  sermons  excited  the  people 
against  the  authorities,  that  the  crowd  listened  to 
him  assiduously  and  neglected  their  duties  to  the 
State,  claiming  that  soon  they  would  be  rid  of 
their  intruding  rulers. 

3.  Then  Pilate,  the  Governor  of  Jerusalem, 
ordered  that  the  preacher  Issa  be  arrested,  brought 
to  the  city  and  conducted  before  the  Judges;  not 
to  arouse  the  dissatisfaction  of  the  people,  how- 
ever, Pilate  commanded  the  priests  and  the 
learned  men,  old  men  of  Hebrew  origin,  to  judge 
him  in  the  temple. 


4.  Meanwhile,  Issa,  still  continuing  to  preach, 
arrived  in  Jerusalem;  having  heard  of  his  coming 
all  the  inhabitants,  who  already  knew  him  by 
reputation,  came  to  meet  him. 


6.  They  greeted  him  respectfully  and  threw 
open  the  doors  of  their  temple  that  they  might 
hear  from  his  lips  what  he  had  said  in  the  other 
cities  of  Israel. 


128  UNKNOWN  LIFE   OF   CHRIST. 

6.  And  Issa  said  to  them:  "The  human  race 
is  perishing  because  of  its  want  of  faith,  for  the 
gloom  and  the  tempest  have  bewildered  the 
human  flock,  and  they  have  lost  their  shepherd.'' 

7.  ''But  tempests  do  not  last  forever,  and  the 
clouds  will  not  hide  the  eternal  light,  the  heavens 
shall  soon  be  serene  again,  the  celestial  light 
shall  spread  throughout  the  world,  and  the 
strayed  sheep  shall  gather  around  their  shep- 
herd." 

8.  ''Do  not  strive  to  seek  direct  roads  in  the 
obscurity  for  fear  of  stumbling  into  the  ditch,  but 
gather  your  remaining  strength,  sustain  one 
another,  place  your  entire  trust  in  God,  and  wait 
till  a  streak  of  light  appears." 

9.  "He  that  upholds  his  neighbor  upholds  him- 
self, and  whosoever  protects  his  family  protects 
his  race  and  his  country." 

10.  "For  rest  assured  that  the  day  of  your 
deliverance  from  darkness  is  near;  you  shall 
gather  together  in  one  single  family,  and  your 
enemy  —  he  who  knows  nothing  of  the  favor  of 
the  Great  God  —  will  tremble  in  fear." 


THE  LIFE  OP  SAINT   ISSA.  129 

11.  The  priests  and  the  old  men  that  listened 
to  him,  full  of  admiration  at  this  language,  asked 
of  him  if  it  were  true  that  he  had  attempted  to 
arouse  the  people  against  the  authorities  of  the 
country,  as  had  been  reported  to  the  Governor, 
Pilate. 


12.  ''  Is  it  possible  to  arise  against  misled  men 
from  whom  the  obscurity  has  hidden  their  path 
and  their  door?"  returned  Issa.  ''I  have  only 
warned  these  unfortunate  people,  as  I  warn  them 
in  this  temple,  that  they  may  not  advance  further 
on  their  dark  paths,  for  an  abyss  is  yawning 
beneath  their  feet." 


13.  ''Worldly power  is  not  of  long  duration, 
and  it  is  subject  to  innumerable  changes.  It 
would  be  of  no  use  to  a  man  to  rebel  against  it, 
for  one  power  always  succeeds  another  power, 
and  it  shall  be  thus  until  the  extinction  of  human 
existence." 


14.  ''Do  you  not  see,  on  the  contrary,  that  the 
rich  and  the  powerful  are  sowing  among  the 
children  of  Israel  a  spirit  of  rebellion  against  the 
eternal  power  of  heaven  ? ' ' 


130  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF  CHRIST. 

15.  And  the  learned  men  then  said:  "Who 
art  thou,  and  from  what  country  hast  thou  come 
into  our  own  ?  We  had  never  heard  of  thee,  and 
do  not  even  know  thy  name." 

16.  ''I  am  an  Israelite,"  responded Issa,  *^ and, 
on  the  very  day  of  my  birth,  I  saw  the  walls  of 
Jerusalem,  and  I  heard  the  weeping  of  my 
brothers  reduced  to  slavery,  and  the  moans  of  my 
sisters  carried  away  by  pagans  into  captivity." 

17.  ''  And  my  soul  was  painfully  grieved  when 
1  saw  that  my  brothers  had  forgotten  the  true 
Grod;  while  yet  a  child,  I  left  my  father's  house 
to  go  among  other  nations." 

18.  "But  hearing  that  my  brothers  were 
enduring  still  greater  tortures,  I  returned  to  the 
land  in  which  my  parents  dwelt,  that  I  might 
recall  to  my  brothers  the  faith  of  their  ancestors, 
which  teaches  us  patience  in  this  world  that  we 
may  obtain  perfect  and  sublime  happiness  on 
High." 

19.  And  the  learned  old  men  asked  him  this 
question :  "  It  is  claimed  that  you  deny  the  laws 
of  Mossa  and  teach  the  people  to  desert  the  tem^ 
pie  of  God?" 


THE  LIFE  OF  SAINT  ISSA.  131 

20.  And  Issa  said:  ''We  can  not  demolish 
what  has  been  given  by  our  Heavenly  Father  and 
what  has  been  destroyed  by  sinners;  but  I  have 
recommended  the  purification  of  all  stain  from 
the  heart,  for  that  is  the  veritable  temple  of  God." 

21.  ' '  As  to  the  laws  of  Mossa,  I  have  striven  to 
re-establish  them  in  the  heart  of  men;  and  I  say 
to  you,  that  you  are  in  ignorance  of  their  true 
meaning,  for  it  is  not  vengeance,  but  forgiveness 
that  they  teach;  but  the  sense  of  these  laws  have 
been  perverted." 


XL 


1.  Having  heard  Issa,  the  priests  and  learned 
men  decided  among  themselves  that  they  would 
not  judge  him,  for  he  was  doing  no  one  harm,  and 
having  presented  themselves  before  Pilate,  made 
Governor  of  Jerusalem  by  the  pagan  king  of  the 
land  of  Romeles,  they  spoke  to  him  thus: 

2.  ''We  have  seen  the  man  whom  thou 
accusest  of  inciting  our  people  to  rebellion,  we 
have  heard  his  preaching  and  know  that  he  is  of 
our  people." 


132  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF   CHRIST. 

3.  "But  the  rulers  of  the  towns  have  sent  thee 
false  reports,  for  he  is  a  just  man  who  teaches 
the  people  the  word  of  God.  After  interrogating 
him,  we  dismissed  him  that  he  might  go  in 
peace." 

4.  The  Governor  overcome  with  passion  sent 
disguised  servants  to  Issa,  that  they  might  watch 
all  his  actions  and  report  to  the  authorities  every 
word  he  addressed  to  the  people. 

5.  Nevertheless  Issa  continued  to  visit  the 
neighboring  towns  and  preach  the  true  ways  of 
the  Creator,  exhorting  the  Hebrews  to  patience 
and  promising  them  a  speedy  deliverance. 

0.  And  during  all  this  time,  a  multitude  fol- 
lowed wherever  he  went,  many  never  leaving  him 
and  acting  as  servants. 

7.  And  Issa  said  to  them:  ''Do  not  believe 
in  miracles  performed  by  the  hands  of  man,  for 
He  who  dominates  nature  is  alone  capable  of 
doing  supernatural  things,  while  man  is  power- 
less to  soften  the  violence  of  the  wind  and  bestow 


THE  LIFE   OF   SAINT   ISSA.  133 

8.  ''Nevertheless,  there  is  a  miracle  which  it 
is  possible  for  man  to  accomplish;  it  is  when, 
full  of  a  sincere  faith,  he  resolves  to  tear  from 
his  heart  all  evil  thought  and,  to  attain  his  end, 
shuns  the  paths  of  iniquity." 

9.  **And  all  things  which  are  done  without 
God  are  but  gross  errors,  seductions,  and  illu- 
sions, which  only  demonstrate  to  what  point  the 
soul  of  the  man  who  practices  this  art  is  filled 
with  deceit,  falsehood,  and  impurity." 

10.  ''Put  no  faith  in  oracles,  God  alone  knows 
the  future;  he  that  has  recourse  to  sorcerers 
defiles  the  temple  within  his  heart  and  gives 
proof  of  distrust  toward  his  Creator." 

11.  "Faith  in  sorcerers  and  their  oracles 
destroys  the  innate  simplicity  and  child-like 
purity  in  man;  a  diabolical  power  takes  posses- 
sion of  him  and  forces  him  to  commit  all  sorts  of 
crimes  and  to  adore  idols." 

12.  "While  the  Lord  our  God,  who  has  not 
his  equal,  is  one,  all-powerful,  omniscient,  and 
omnipresent;  it  is  he  who  possesses  all  wisdom 
and  all  light." 


134  UNKNOWN  LIFE  OF  0HEI8T. 

13.  ''  It  is  to  him  you  must  have  recourse  to  be 
comforted  in  your  sorrows,  assisted  in  your  toils, 
healed  in  your  sickness;  whosoever  shall  have 
recourse  to  him  shall  not  be  refused." 

14.  "The  secret  of  nature  is  in  the  hands  of 
God;  for  the  world  before  appearing,  existed  in 
the  depth  of  the  divine  mind;  it  became  material 
and  visible  by  the  will  of  the  Most  High." 

15.  ''When  you  wish  to  address  him,  become 
as  children  once  more,  for  you  know  neither  the 
past,  nor  the  present,  nor  the  future,  and  God  is 
the  master  of  time." 


XII. 

1.  "O  just  man,"  said  the  disguised  servants 
of  the  Governor  of  Jerusalem,  "tell  us  should  we 
do  the  will  of  our  Csesar  or  await  our  near  deliver- 
ance?" 

2.  And  Issa,  having  recognized  in  his  ques- 
tioners the  spies  sent  to  watch  him,  said  to  them: 
"I  have  not  said  that  you  should  be  delivered 
from  Caesar;  it  is  the  soul  plunged  in  error 
which  shall  have  its  deliverance." 


THE  LIFE   OF   SAINT  ISSA.  136 

3.  ''There  can  be  no  family  without  a  head, 
and  there  would  be  no  order  in  a  nation  without 
a  Caesar,  who  must  be  blindly  obeyed,  for  he 
alone  shall  answer  for  his  actions  before  the 
supreme  tribunal." 

4.  ''Does  Caesar  possess  a  divine  right,"  again 
questioned  the  spies,  "and  is  he  the  best  of  mor- 
tals?" 

5.  '*  There  is  no  perfection  among  men,  but 
there  are  also  some  that  are  sick  whom  the  men 
elected  and  intrusted  with  this  mission  must 
care  for,  by  using  the  means  that  are  conferred 
upon  them  by  the  sacred  law  of  our  Heavenly 
Father." 

6.  ' '  Clemency  and  justice,  these  are  the  highest 
gifts  granted  to  Caesar;  his  name  will  be  illustri- 
ous if  he  abides  thereby." 

7.  "But  he  who  acts  otherwise,  who  goes 
beyond  the  limit  of  his  power  over  his  subject, 
even  to  placing  his  life  in  danger,  offends  the 
great  Judge  and  lowers  his  dignity  in  the  sight  of 


136  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF   CHRIST. 

8.  At  this  point,  an  aged  woman,  who  had 
approached  the  group  that  she  might  better  hear 
Issa,  was  pushed  aside  by  one  of  the  men  in  dis- 
guise who  placed  himself  before  her. 

9.  Issa  then  said :  ''It  is  not  meet  that  a  son 
should  push  aside  his  mother  to  occupy  the  first 
place  which  should  be  hers.  Whosoever  respect- 
eth  not  his  mother,  the  most  sacred  being  next  to 
God,  is  unworthy  the  name  of  son." 

10.  "Listen,  therefore,  to  what  I  am  about  to 
say:  ''Respect  woman,  for  she  is  the  mother  of 
the  universe  and  all  the  truth  of  divine  creation 
dwells  within  her." 

11.  "She  is  the  basis  of  all  that  is  good  and 
beautiful,  as  she  is  also  the  germ  of  life  and 
death.  On  her  depends  the  entire  existence  of 
man,  for  she  is  his  moral  and  natural  support  in 
all  his  works." 

12.  "She  gives  you  birth  amid  sufferings;  by 
the  sweat  of  her  brow  she  watches  over  your 
growth,  and  until  her  death  you  cause  her  the 
most  intense  anguish.  Bless  her  and  adore  her, 
for  she  is  your  only  friend  and  support  upon 
earth," 


THE  LIFE   OF   SAINT  ISSA.  137 

13.  ''Respect  her,  protect  her;  in  doing  this, 
you  will  win  her  love  and  her  heart,  and  you  will 
be  pleasing  to  God;  for  this  shall  many  of  your 
sins  be  remitted." 

14.  "Therefore,  love  your  wives  and  respect 
them,  for  to-morrow  they  shall  be  mothers,  and 
later  grandmothers  of  a  whole  nation." 

15.  ' '  Be  submissive  toward  your  wife;  her  love 
ennobles  man,  softens  his  hardened  heart,  tames 
the  beast  and  makes  of  it  a  lamb." 

16.  ''The  wife  and  the  mother,  inestimable 
treasures  bestowed  on  you  by  God;  they  are  the 
most  beautiful  ornaments  of  the  universe,  and 
from  them  shall  be  born  all  that  shall  inhabit  the 
world." 

17.  "Just  as  the  God  of  armies  separated  day 
from  night  and  the  land  from  the  waters,  so 
woman  possesses  the  divine  talent  of  separating 
good  intentions  from  evil  thoughts  in  men." 

18.  Therefore  I  say  to  you:  "After  God,  your 
best  thoughts  should  belong  to  women  and  to 
wives;  woman  being  to  you  the  divine  temple 


138  UNKNOWN   LIFE  OF  CHRIST. 

wherein  you  shall  most  easily  obtain  perfect  hap- 
piness." 

19.  ''  Draw  your  moral  strength  from  this  tem- 
ple; there  you  will  forget  your  sorrows  and 
failures,  you  will  recover  the  wasted  forces  neces- 
sary to  help  your  neighbor." 

20.  '^Do  not  expose  her  to  humiliation;  you 
would  thereby  humiliate  yourself  and  lose  the 
sentiment  of  love,  without  which  nothing  exists 
here  below." 

21.  '^  Protect  your  wife,  that  she  may  protect 
you  and  all  your  family;  all  that  you  shall  do  for 
your  mother,  your  wife,  for  a  widow,  or  another 
woman  in  distress,  you  shall  have  done  for  Grod." 


XIII. 

1.  Saint  Issa  thus  taught  the  people  of  Israel 
for  three  years  in  every  city,  in  every  village,  on 
the  roadways,  and  in  the  fields,  and  all  that  he 
had  predicted  came  to  pass. 

2.  During  all  this  time,  the  disguised  servants 
of  the  Governor  Pilate  observed  him  closely,  but 


THE  LIFE   OF   SAINT  ISSA.  139 

without  hearing  anything  that  resembled  the 
reports  hitherto  sent  by  the  rulers  of  the  cities 
concerning  Issa. 

3.  But  the  Governor  Pilate,  becoming  alarmed 
at  the  too  great  popularity  of  Saint  Issa,  who, 
according  to  his  enemies,  wanted  to  incite  the 
people  and  be  made  king,  ordered  one  of  his  spies 
to  accuse  him. 

4.  Soldiers  were  then  sent  to  arrest  him,  and 
he  was  cast  into  a  dungeon  where  he  was  made  to 
suffer  various  tortures  that  he  might  be  forced  to 
accuse  himself,  which  would  permit  them  to  put 
him  to  death. 

5.  Thinking  of  the  perfect  beatitude  of  his 
brothers  only,  the  saint  endured  these  sufferings 
in  the  name  of  his  Creator. 

6.  The  servants  of  Pilate  continued  to  torture 
him  and  reduced  him  to  a  state  of  extreme  weak- 
ness; but  God  was  with  him  and  did  not  suffer 
him  to  die. 

7.  Hearing  of  the  sufferings  and  tortures 
inflicted  on  their  saint,  the  principal  priests  and 


140  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF   CHRIST. 

learned  elders  begged  the  Governor  to  liberate 
Issa  on  the  occasion  of  an  approaching  great 
feast. 

8.  But  the  Governor  met  them  vrith  a  decided 
refusal.  They  then  begged  him  to  bring  Issa 
before  the  tribunal  of  the  Ancients,  that  he  might 
be  condemned  or  acquitted  before  the  feast,  to 
which  Pilate  consented. 

9.  On  the  morrow  the  Governor  called  together 
the  chief  rulers,  priests,  elders,  and  law-givers, 
with  the  object  of  making  them  pass  judgment 
on  Issa. 

10.  The  saint  was  brought  from  his  prison,  and 
he  was  seated  before  the  Governor  between  two 
thieves  that  were  to  be  tried  with  him,  to  show 
the  people  that  he  was  not  the  only  one  to  be 
condemned. 

11.  And  Pilate,  addressing  Issa,  said:  ''O, 
man!  is  it  true  that  thou  hast  incited  the  people 
to  rebel  against  the  authorities  that  thou  mayest 
become  king  of  Israel  ? " 

12.  ''None  can  become  king  by  his  own  will," 
replied  Issa,   "and   they  that  have  said  that  I 


THE  LIFE  OF   SAINT   ISSA.  141 

incited  the  people  have  spoken  falsely.  I  have 
never  spoken  but  of  the  King  of  Heaven,  whom  I 
taught  the  people  to  adore." 

13.  '*For  the  sons  of  Israel  have  lost  their 
original  purity,  and  if  they  have  not  recourse  to 
the  true  God,  they  shall  be  sacrificed  and  their 
temple  shall  fall  in  ruins." 

14.  ''Temporal  power  maintains  order  in  a 
country;  I  therefore  taught  them  not  to  forget  it; 
I  said  to  them:  '''Live  in  conformity  to  your 
position  and  fortune,  that  you  may  not  disturb 
public  order;'  and  I  exhorted  them  also  to 
remember  that  disorder  reigned  in  their  hearts 
and  minds." 

15.  ' '  Therefore  the  King  of  Heaven  has  pun- 
ished them  and  suppressed  their  national  kings; 
nevertheless,  I  said  to  them,  if  you  resign  your- 
self to  your  fate,  the  kingdom  of  heaven  shall  be 
reserved  for  you  as  a  reward." 

16.  At  this  moment,  witnesses  were  introduced; 
one  of  them  testified  as  follows:  "Thou  hast 
said  to  the  people  that  temporal  power  was  noth- 


142  UNKNOWN   LIFE  OF   CHRIST. 

ing  to  that  of  the  King  that  shall  free  the  IsraeL 
ites  from  the  pagan  yoke." 

17.  '' Blessed  be  thou,"  said  Issa,  ''for  having 
spoken  the  truth;  the  King  of  Heaven  is  more 
powerful  and  great  than  terrestrial  laws,  and  his 
kingdom  surpasses  all  the  kingdoms  here  below." 

18.  ''And  the  time  is  not  far  when,  in  conform- 
ity with  the  divine  will,  the  people  of  Israel 
will  purify  themselves  of  their  sins;  for  it  is  said 
that  a  precursor  shall  come  to  announce  the 
deliverance  of  the  nation  and  unite  it  in  one 
family." 

19.  And  addressing  himself  to  the  judges,  the 
Governor  said:  "Hear  you  this?  The  Israelite 
Issa  admits  the  crime  of  which  he  is  accused. 
Judge  him  according  to  your  laws  and  sentence 
him  to  capital  punishment." 

20.  "We  can  not  condemn  him,"  replied  the 
priests  and  the  ancients;  ' '  thou  hast  thyself  heard 
that  he  made  allusion  to  the  King  of  Heaven,  and 
that  he  has  preached  nothing  to  the  people  which 
constitutes  insubordination  against  the  law." 


THE   LIFE   OF  SAINT  IS8A.  143 

21.  The  Governor  then  summoned  the  witness 
who,  at  the  instigation  of  his  master,  Pilate,  had 
betrayed  Issa;  and  when  this  man  came  he 
addressed  Issa  thus:  '^  Didst  thou  not  claim  to 
be  the  king  of  Israel  in  saying  that  the  Lord  of 
heaven  had  sent  thee  to  prepare  his  people  ?" 

22.  And  Issa  having  blessed  him,  said:  ' '  Thou 
shalt  be  forgiven,  for  what  thou  sayest  cometh 
not  of  thee ! "  Then  turning  to  the  Grovernor,  he 
continued:  "Why  lower  thy  dignity  and  teach 
thy  inferiors  to  live  in  falsehood,  since,  even  with- 
out this,  thou  hast  the  power  to  condemn  an 
innocent  man?" 

23.  At  these  words,  the  Governor  became  vio- 
lently enraged  and  ordered  the  death  of  Issa, 
while  he  discharged  the  two  thieves. 

24.  The  judges,  having  deliberated  among  them- 
selves, said  to  Pilate:  ''We  will  not  take  upon 
our  heads  the  great  sin  of  condemning  an  innocent 
man  and  of  acquitting  two  thieves,  a  thing  con- 
trary to  our  laws." 

25.  "Do  therefore  as  thou  pleases."  Having 
thus  spoken,  the  priests  and  wise  men  went  out 


144  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF   CHRIST. 

and  washed  their  hands  in  a  sacred  vessel,  say- 
ing: ^'We  are  innocent  of  the  death  of  a  just 
man 


9? 


XIV. 

1.  By  order  of  the  Governor,  the  soldiers  seized 
upon  Issa  and  the  two  thieves  whom  they  con- 
ducted to  the  place  of  torture,  where  they  nailed 
them  to  the  crosses  they  had  erected. 

2.  All  that  day,  the  bodies  of  Issa  and  of  the 
two  thieves  remained  suspended,  dripping  with 
blood,  under  the  guard  of  soldiers;  the  people 
stood  around  about  them,  while  the  parents  of 
the  crucified  men  wept  and  prayed. 

3.  At  sunset,  the  agony  of  Issa  came  to  an  end. 
He  lost  consciousness,  and  the  soul  of  this  just 
man  detached  itself  from  his  body  to  become  part 
of  the  Divinity, 

4.  Thus  ended  the  terrestrial  existence  of  the 
reflection  of  the  Eternal  Spirit,  under  the  form 
of  a  man  who  had  saved  hardened  sinners  and 
endured  so  much  suffering. 


THE  LIFE  OF   SAINT   ISSA.  146 

6.  Pilate,  however,  becoming  alarmed  at  his 
own  actions,  gave  up  the  body  of  the  holy  man 
to  his  relations,  who  buried  him  near  the  place 
of  his  execution;  the  multitude  then  came  to 
pray  over  his  tomb  and  filled  the  air  with  weeping 
and  wailing. 

6.  Three  days  later  the  Governor  sent  his  sol- 
diers to  take  up  the  body  of  Issa  and  bury  it  else- 
where, fearing  a  general  uprising  of  the  people. 

7.  The  following  day  the  sepulcher  was  found 
open  and  empty  by  the  multitude;  and  the  rumor 
immediately  spread  that  the  Supreme  Judge  had 
sent  his  angels  to  take  away  the  mortal  remains 
of  the  saint  in  whom  dwelt  on  earth  a  part  of  the 
Divine  Spirit. 

8.  When  this  report  came  to  the  ears  of  Pilate 
he  fell  into  a  rage  and  forbade  everyone,  under 
penalty  of  perpetual  slavery,  to  ever  utter  the 
name  of  Issa  and  to  pray  to  the  Lord  for  him. 

9.  But  the  people  continued  to  weep  and  praise 
their  master  aloud;  therefore  many  were  placed 
in  captivity,  subjected  to  torture,  and  put  to 
death. 

lO 


146  UNKNOWN  LIFE   OF  CHRIST. 

10.  And  the  disciples  of  Saint  Issa  left  the  land 
of  Israel  and  went  in  all  directions  among  the 
pagans,  telling  them  that  they  must  abandon 
their  gross  errors,  think  of  the  salvation  of  their 
souls,  and  of  the  perfect  felicity  in  store  for  men 
in  the  enlightened  and  immaterial  world  where, 
in  repose  and  in  all  his  purity,  dwells  the  great 
Creator  in  perfect  majesty. 

11.  The  pagans,  their  kings  and  soldiers,  list- 
ened to  these  preachers,  abandoned  their  absurd 
beliefs,  deserted  their  priests  and  their  idols  to 
sing  the  praises  of  the  all- wise  Creator  of  the  uni- 
verse, the  King  of  kings,  whose  heart  is  filled 
with  infinite  mercy. 


EPITOME. 

IN  reading  the  life  of  Issa  (Jesus  Christ),  we 
are  at  first  struck  by  the  similarity  between 
some  of  its  principal  passages  and  the  bibli- 
cal narrative;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  we  also 
find  equally  remarkable  contradictions,  which 
constitute  the  difference  between  the  Buddhist 
version  and  that  found  in  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ments. 

To  explain  this  singularity,  we  must  take  into 
account  the  periods  in  which  the  facts  were 
recorded. 

In  childhood,  we  were  taught  to  believe  that 
the  Pentateuch  was  written  by  Moses  himself; 
but  the  careful  investigations  of  co-temporary 
savants  have  conclusively  demonstrated,  that  in 
the  days  of  Moses,  and  even  long  after  him,  there 
existed  no  writings  in  those  countries  bathed 
by  the  Mediterranean,  save  the  Egyptian  hiero- 
glyphics and  the  cuneiform  inscriptions  still  found 
in  the  excavations  of  Babylon.  But  we  know,  to 
the  contrary,  that  the  alphabet  and  parchment 
were  known  and  used  in  China  and  India  long 
before  Moses. 

(U7) 


148  UNKNOWN   LIi£   OF   CHRIST. 

Of  this  we  have  ample  j^roof . 

The  sacred  books  of  tlie  ' '  religion  of  the  wise 
men,"  teaches  us  that  the  alphabet  was  invented 
in  China,  in  2800  B.  C,  by  Fou-si,  who  was  the 
first  Chinese  emperor  to  embrace  that  religion. 
It  was  he  who  also  arranged  the  ritual  and  out- 
ward ceremonies.  Yaou,  the  fourth  Chinese 
emperor  who  adopted  the  same  faith,  published 
moral  and  civil  laws,  and,  in  the  year  2228  B.  C, 
prepared  a  penal  code. 

On  his  accession  to  the  throne,  Sonne,  the  fifth 
emperor,  proclaimed  the  "religion  of  the  wise 
men"  as  the  religion  of  state;  and  in  2282,  he 
enacted  new  penal  laws.  These  laws,  modified  by 
the  Emperor  Woo- Wang,  who  was  the  founder  of 
the  Chow  dynasty  in  1122,  are  now  known  under 
the  name  of  the  "Changes." 

Moreover,  the  doctrine  of  Buddha-Fo,  whose 
real  name  was  Cakya-Mouni,  was  written  on 
parchment.  Foism  began  to  spread  through 
China  about  the  year  260  B.  C;  in  206,  an 
emperor  of  the  Tsine  dynasty,  who  desired  to 
study  Buddhism,  sent  to  India  for  the  Buddhist 
Silifan;  while  the  Emperor  Ming-Ti,  of  the  Han 
dynasty,  one  year  before  Christ,  procured  the 
sacred  books  written  by  Cakya-Mouni,  the  foun- 
der of  Buddhism,  who  lived  about  the  year  1200 
before  Christ. 


EPITOME.  149 

The  doctrine  of  Buddha  Gaouthama,  or  Gau- 
tama, who  lived  six  hundred  years  before  Christ, 
was  written  on  parchment  in  the  Pali  language. 
At  this  epoch,  there  already  existed  in  India  about 
eighty-four  thousand  Buddhist  manuscripts,  the 
compiling  of  which  must  have  required  a  con- 
siderable number  of  years. 

While  the  Chinese  and  Hindoos  already  pos- 
sessed a  rich  collection  of  written  literature,  the 
less  fortunate,  or  more  ignorant  nations,  who  had 
no  alphabet,  transmitted  orally,  from  generation 
to  generation,  what  came  to  pass.  Owing  to  the 
unreliability  of  the  human  memory,  and  its  rela- 
tive incapacity,  not  to  speak  of  oriental  embel- 
lishments, historical  facts  soon  degenerated  into 
fabulous  legends,  which,  later,  were  gathered  by 
unknown  compilers  and  given  to  the  world  under 
the  title  of  the  ''Five  Books  of  Moses."  The 
legend  also  attributes  a  truly  extraordinary  divine 
power  to  this  Hebrew  legislator,  and  credits  him 
with  a  series  of  miracles  performed  in  the  pres- 
ence of  Pharaoh;  might  it  not  be  equally  mis- 
taken in  declaring  that  he  was  an  Israelite  by 
birth? 

The  Hindoo  chroniclers,  on  the  contrary, 
thanks  to  the  invention  of  the  alphabet,  were 
enabled  to  preserve,  not  fabulous  legends,  but  a 
concise  narrative  of  recent  events  accomplished  in 


150  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF   CHRIST. 

their  midst,  as  well  as  of  the  reports  received 
from  the  merchants  who  had  just  visited  foreign 
lands. 

It  is  necessary  to  remark  here  that  during  this 
period  of  antiquity,  as  in  our  own  days,  oriental 
public  life  was  concentrated  in  the  bazaars,  where 
the  events  of  the  day  and  the  news  from  foreign 
nations  were  propagated  by  caravans  of  mer- 
chants, who  were  usually  followed  by  a  number 
of  dervises  who  readily  told  all  they  had  seen 
and  heard  on  their  journey,  in  exchange  for  food. 
In  fact,  this  was  their  sole  means  of  subsistence. 

The  commerce  of  India  with  Egypt,  and  later 
with  Europe,  was  carried  on  through  Jerusalem, 
where,  even  as  early  as  the  reign  of  Solomon, 
Hindoo  caravans  brought  precious  metals  and  all 
that  was  necessary  for  the  construction  of  the 
temple.  From  Europe,  the  merchandise  came  to 
Jerusalem  by  sea,  and  was  unloaded  in  the  har- 
bor where  Jaffa  now  stands. 

The  chronicles  in  question  were  written  before, 
during,  and  after  Christ;  although  no  attention 
was  paid  to  Jesus  during  his  sojourn  in  India, 
where  he  came  as  a  simple  pilgrim  to  study  the 
Brahman  and  Buddhist  laws. 

But  later,  when  the  events  which  had  aroused 
Israel  were  related  in  India,  these  chroniclers  — 
after  having  committed  to  writing  all  they  had 


EPITOME.  151 

just  heard  concerning  the  prophet  Issa,  whom  an 
oppressed  nation  had  followed  and  who  had  been 
executed  by  the  order  of  Pilate — remembered 
that  this  same  Issa  had  recently  lived  among 
them  and  studied  in  their  midst,  and  that  he  had 
then  returned  to  his  own  country.  A  deep 
interest  was  immediately  aroused  concerning  this 
man  who  had  so  rapidly  grown  in  importance  in 
their  eyes,  and  they  at  once  began  an  investiga- 
tion into  his  birth,  his  past,  and  every  detail  of 
his  existence. 

The  two  manuscripts  read  to  me  by  the  lama 
of  the  Himis  Convent,  were  compiled  from  divers 
copies  written  in  the  Thibetan  tongue,  translated 
from  rolls  belonging  to  the  Lassa  library  and 
brought  from  India,  Nepal,  and  Maghada  two 
hundred  years  after  Christ.  These  were  placed 
in  a  convent  standing  on  Mount  Marbour,  near 
Lassa,  where  the  Dalai-Lama  now  resides. 

These  rolls  were  written  in  the  Pali  tongue, 
which  certain  lamas  study  carefully  that  they 
may  translate  the  sacred  writings  from  that 
language  into  the  Thibetan  dialect. 

The  chroniclers  were  Buddhists  belonging  to 
the  sect  of  Buddha  Gautama. 

The  information  contained  about  Christ  is 
oddly  mixed,  without  relation  or  coherence  with 
other  events  of  that  period. 


152  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF   CHRIST. 

Without  preliminary  details  or  explanation, 
the  manuscript  begins  by  announcing  that,  in  the 
very  year  of  the  death  of  Christ,  a  few  merchants 
just  returned  from  Judea  have  brought  back  the 
information  that  a  just  man  named  Issa,  an 
Israelite,  after  having  been  twice  acquitted  by 
his  judges  —  as  was  the  man  of  God  —  was  finally 
put  to  death  at  the  instigation  of  the  Pagan  Gov- 
ernor, Pilate,  who  feared  that  Jesus  would  take 
advantage  of  his  popularity  to  re-establish  the 
Kingdom  of  Israel  and  expel  its  conquerors  from 
the  land. 

Then  comes  the  somewhat  incoherent  tale  of 
Jesus  preaching  among  the  Guebers  and  other 
pagans,  evidently  written  in  the  year  following 
the  death  of  Christ,  in  whom  there  is  a  growing 
interest.  In  one  of  these  the  merchants  relate 
what  is  known  of  the  origin  of  Jesus  and  of  his 
family,  while  another  gives  the  story  of  the 
expulsion  of  his  partisans  and  the  bitter  perse- 
cutions they  endured. 

It  is  not  until  the  end  of  the  second  volume  is 
reached,  that  we  find  the  first  categorical  affirma- 
tion of  the  chronicler  where  he  declares  that  Issa 
is  blessed  by  God  and  the  best  of  all  men;  that  he 
is  the  chosen  one  of  the  great  Brahma,  the  man  in 
whom  is  incarnated  the  spirit  detached  from  the 
Supreme  Being  at  a  period  determined  by  fate. 


EPITOME.  153 

Having  explained  that  Issa  was  the  son  of  poor 
parents  and  of  Israelite  extraction,  the  chronicler 
makes  a  slight  digression  with  the  object  of  tel- 
ling us  who  were  the  children  of  Israel. 

These  fragments  of  the  life  of  Issa,  I  have  dis- 
posed of  in  chronological  order,  endeavoring  to  give 
them  a  character  of  unity  totally  wanting  in  the 
original  form. 

I  leave  to  savants,  philosophers,  and  theologians, 
the  task  of  searching  the  cause  of  contradictions 
that  may  be  found  between  the  ' '  Unknown  Life 
of  Issa,"  which  I  make  public,  and  the  story  told 
by  the  Evangelists.  But  I  am  inclined  to  believe 
that  nobody  will  hesitate  to  acknowledge  that  this 
version,  recorded  within  three  or  four  years  after 
the  death  of  Christ  from  the  testimonies  of  eye 
witnesses,  is  more  likely  to  bear  the  stamp  of 
truth  than  the  narratives  of  the  Evangelists,  who 
wrote  at  divers  epochs,  and  so  long  a  time  after 
these  events  took  place,  that  we  can  not  be  aston- 
ished if  the  facts  have  been  altered  or  distorted. 

Before  taking  up  the  life  of  Jesus,  I  must  say  a 
few  words  concerning  the  history  of  Moses,  who, 
according  to  the  usually  accepted  legend,  was  an 
Israelite.  This  fact  is  flatly  contradicted  by  Bud- 
dhists. We  are  first  told  that  Moses  was  a  prince 
of  Egypt,  son  of  Pharaoh,  and  that  he  was  merely 
instructed  by  the  learned  Israelites.    By  carefully 


164  UNKNOWN  LIFE  OF   CHRIST. 

examining  this  important  point,  we  are  forced  to 
admit  that  the  Buddhist  author  may  be  right. 

Although  I  have  no  intention  to  destroy  the 
biblical  legend  on  the  origin  of  Moses,  many  will 
concur  with  me  in  the  opinion  that  Moses  was  not 
a  simple  Israelite,  for  the  very  appreciable  reason 
that  his  education  was  that  of  a  prince  of  the 
land;  and  it  is  diflSicult  to  believe  that  a  child 
brought  by  chance  into  the  palace,  could  have 
been  placed  on  a  footing  of  equality  with  the  son 
of  the  sovereign.  The  manner  in  which  the 
Egyptians  treated  their  slaves  proves  that  they 
were  not  distinguished  for  mildness  of  character. 
A  foundling  would  assuredly  not  have  been 
tolerated  among  the  children  of  Pharaoh,  but 
would  have  been  placed  with  the  servants. 
Besides,  and  this  is  preponderating  evidence,  we 
must  take  into  consideration  the  spirit  of  caste  so 
strictly  observed  in  ancient  Egypt. 

On  the  other  hand,  it  is  difficult  to  believe  that 
Moses  did  not  receive  a  complete  education. 
How  otherwise  could  we  explain  his  great  work 
of  legislation,  his  broad  views,  and  his  high  qual- 
ities as  administrator  ? 

But,  if  he  were  a  prince,  why  did  he  join  the 
Israelites?  The  explanation  is  simple  enough. 
We  know  that  among  the  ancients,  as  well  as  in 
our  modern  days,  the  succession  to  the  throne 


EPITOME.  155 

was  frequently  a  bone  of  contention  among  broth- 
ers. Why  not  admit  the  hypothesis  that  Mossa, 
or  Moses,  wished  to  found  a  distinct  kingdom, 
since  the  existence  of  an  elder  brother  debarred 
him  from  the  Egyptian  throne  ?  This  considera- 
tion probably  led  him  to  place  himself  at  the 
head  of  the  Israelites,  whom  he  admired  for  their 
firmness  in  their  belief,  as  well  as  for  their  bodily 
strength.  The  Israelites  of  Egypt,  w^e  know,  did 
not  at  all  resemble  their  descendants  physically, 
the  blocks  of  granite  used  in  building  the  palaces 
and  the  pyramids  still  stand  as  evidence  of  this. 

The  miracles  performed  in  the  presence  of 
Pharaoh  may  be  explained  in  the  same  way. 

Without  possessing  definite  arguments  to  deny 
these  miracles  performed  by  Moses,  in  the  name 
of  God,  we  must  admit  —  without  much  difficulty, 
I  believe  —  that  the  Buddhist  verses  are  more 
plausible  than  the  biblical  paraphrase.  The  pest, 
small-pox,  or  cholera,  must,  in  fact,  have  wrought 
terrible  ravages  in  the  dense  mass  of  the  pop- 
ulation at  a  time  when  ideas  on  hygiene  were 
still  rudimentary,  and  when,  in  consequence,  the 
scourge  must  have  rapidly  assumed  frightful 
proportions. 

Moses,  who  was  of  quick  intelligence,  could 
readily  work  on  the  fears  of  Pharaoh  in  the  pres- 
ence of  this  imminent  danger,  by  declaring  that 


156  UlSTKNOWN   LIFE   OF   CHRIST. 

it  was  due  to  the  intervention  of  the  God  of 
Israel  in  favor  of  his  chosen  people. 

This  vras  a  most  favorable  opportunity  to  free 
the  Israelites  from  their  bondage  and  make  them 
pass  under  his  own  power. 

Conformably  to  the  will  of  Pharaoh,  still, 
according  to  the  Buddhists,  Moses  led  the  Israel- 
ites beyond  the  walls  of  the  city;  but,  instead  of 
building  a  new  city  at  a  certain  distance  from  the 
capital,  as  he  had  been  commanded  to  do,  he 
took  them  out  of  the  Egyptian  territory.  The 
indignation  of  Pharaoh  on  seeing  Moses'  utter 
disregard  of  his  orders  can  be  easily  imagined; 
and  it  is  not  therefore  astonishing  if  he  started 
in  pursuit  of  the  fugitives  at  the  head  of  his 
soldiers.  Taking  into  consideration  the  geo- 
graphical situation  of  that  region,  it  must  be  sup- 
posed that  Moses  traveled  along  the  mountains 
and  entered  Arabia  through  the  isthmus  now  cut 
by  the  Suez  Canal.  Pharaoh,  on  the  contrary,  led 
his  troops  in  a  more  direct  line  in  the  direction  of 
the  Red  Sea;  then,  to  overtake  the  Israelites  who 
had  already  gained  the  opposite  shore,  he  boldly 
took  advantage  of  the  ebb  of  the  sea  into  the  gulf 
formed  by  the  banks  of  the  isthmus,  and  made 
his  soldiers  march  through  the  shallow  passage. 
But  the  distance  across  being  much  longer  than 
he  had  anticipated,   the  flood-tide    caught  the 


EPITOME.  157 

Egyptian  army  in  the  very  middle  of  the  sea  and 
not  one  of  them  could  escape  death. 

This  fact,  so  simple  in  itself,  was  transformed 
into  a  religious  legend  in  the  succeeding  centuries 
by  the  Israelites,  who  interpreted  the  incident  as 
due  to  divine  intervention  in  their  favor  and  as  a 
just  punishment  from  the  hands  of  God  on  their 
persecutors.  We  are  led  to  believe,  moreover, 
that  Moses  himself  entertained  this  belief.  But 
this  is  a  thesis  which  I  shall  endeavor  to  develop 
in  a  future  work. 

The  Buddhist  chronicle  then  briefly  describes 
the  greatness  and  the  downfall  of  the  kingdom  of 
Israel,  as  well  as  its  conquest  by  strangers  who 
reduced  its  inhabitants  to  a  state  of  servitude. 

The  misfortunes  that  poured  upon  the  Israel- 
ites and  the  afflictions  that  thereafter  embittered 
their  days,  were,  according  to  the  chronicler, 
more  than  sufficient  reasons  for  God  to  look  with 
pity  upon  his  people;  and,  wishing  to  come  to 
their  assistance,  he  resolved  to  descend  upon 
earth  under  the  guise  of  a  prophet,  that  he  might 
lead  them  back  into  the  path  of  salvation. 

The  condition  of  things  at  that  period  therefore 
justified  the  belief  that  the  coming  of  Jesus  was 
signaled,  imminent,  and  necessary. 

This  explains  why  the  Buddhist  traditions 
declare  that  the  Eternal   Spirit  detached  itself 


158  UNKNOWN  LIFE   OF   CHRIST. 

from  the  Eternal  Being  and  was  incarnated  in 
the  new-born  child  of  a  pious  and  noble  family. 

The  Buddhists,  no  doubt,  as  well  as  the  Evan- 
gelists, wish  to  indicate  thereby  that  the  child 
belonged  to  the  royal  house  of  David;  but  the 
text  of  the  Gospel,  according  to  which  the  ''child 
was  conceived  by  the  Holy  Ghost,"  may  be  inter- 
preted in  two  ways,  while,  according  to  the  doc- 
trine of  Buddha,  which  is  more  in  conformity 
with  the  laws  of  nature,  the  Spirit  incarnated 
itself  in  a  child  that  was  already  born,  whom  God 
blessed  and  chose  to  accomplish  his  mission  here 
below. 

At  this  point  there  is  a  void  in  the  traditions  of 
the  Evangelists,  who,  whether  through  ignorance 
or  negligence,  tell  us  nothing  of  his  infancy,  his 
youth,  and  his  education.  They  begin  the  his- 
tory of  Jesus  by  his  first  sermon,  that  is  when,  at 
the  age  of  thirty,  he  returned  to  his  own  country. 

All  that  is  said  by  the  Evangelists  in  regard  to 
the  infancy  of  Jesus  is  totally  void  of  precision: 
''And  the  child  grew,  and  waxed  strong  in  spirit, 
filled  with  wisdom;  and  the  grace  of  God  was 
upon  him,"  says  one  of  the  sacred  authors,  St. 
Luke,  and  again:  "And  the  child  grew,  and 
waxed  strong  in  spirit,  and  was  in  the  deserts 
till  the  day  of  his  shewing  unto  Israel." 

As  the  Evangelists  compiled  their  works  long 


EPITOME.  159 

after  the  death  of  Jesus,  it  is  presumed  that  they 
merely  consigned  to  writing  the  narratives  that 
had  come  to  them  of  the  principal  events  of  the 
life  of  Jesus. 

The  Buddhists,  however,  who  compiled  their 
chronicles  immediately  after  the  Passion,  and 
who  had  the  advantage  of  gathering  the  most 
accurate  information  on  all  points  that  interested 
them,  give  us  a  complete  and  exhaustive  descrip- 
tion of  the  life  of  Jesus. 

In  those  unhappy  days,  when  the  struggle  for 
existence  seems  to  have  destroyed  all  notion  of 
God,  the  people  of  Israel  were  bowed  down  under 
the  double  oppression  of  the  ambitious  Herod, 
and  of  the  avaricious  despotic  Romans.  Then, 
as  now,  the  Hebrews  placed  all  their  hope  in 
Providence,  which,  they  believed,  would  send 
them  the  inspired  man  who  was  to  deliver  them 
from  their  physical  and  moral  sufferings.  Time 
passed  on,  however,  and  no  one  took  the  initia- 
tive in  a  revolt  against  the  tyranny  of  the 
governing  power. 

During  this  period  of  anxiety  and  hope,  the 
people  of  Israel  completely  forgot  that  there 
existed  in  their  midst  a  poor  Israelite,  who  was  a 
direct  descendant  of  their  King  David.  This 
poor  man  married  a  young  girl  who  gave  birth  to 
a  miraculous  child. 


160  UT^KNOWN  LIFE  OF  CHRIST. 

Faithful  to  their  traditions  of  devotion  and 
respect  for  the  race  of  their  kings,  the  Hebrews, 
on  hearing  of  this,  flocked  to  see  the  child  and 
congratulate  the  happy  father.  It  is  evident 
that  Herod  did  not  long  remain  in  ignorance  of 
what  had  taken  place;  and  he  feared  that  when 
the  child  had  grown  to  manhood,  he  might  take 
advantage  of  his  popularity  to  regain  the  throne 
of  his  ancestors.  He,  therefore,  sought  the  child, 
whom  the  Israelites  endeavored  to  shield  from 
the  anger  of  the  king;  the  latter  then  ordered  the 
abominable  massacre  of  children,  hoping  that 
Jesus  might  perish  in  this  vast  human  hecatomb. 
But  the  family  of  Joseph,  having  obtained  infor- 
mation of  the  terrible  execution  contemplated  by 
Herod,  fled  into  Egypt. 

Some  time  later  the  family  returned  to  its 
native  land.  The  child  had  grown  during  these 
journeys  in  which  his  life  had  been  more  than 
once  exposed.  Then  as  now,  the  Oriental  Israel- 
ites commenced  to  instruct  their  children  at  the 
age  of  five  or  six  years.  Forced  to  remain  in 
concealment,  the  parents  never  allowed  their  son 
to  leave  their  roof,  and  the  latter  no  doubt  spent 
his  time  in  studying  the  sacred  writings,  so  that 
on  his  return  to  Judea,  he  was  far  in  advance  of 
the  boys  of  his  own  age,  which  greatly  astonished 
the  learned  men.     He  was  then  in  his  thirteenth 


EPITOME.  161 

year,  the  age  at  which,  according  to  the  Jewish 
law,  a  young  man  attains  his  majority  and  has 
the  right  to  marry,  as  well  as  to  fulfill  his  reli- 
gious duties  on  an  equal  footing  with  adults. 
'  There  still  exists  an  ancient  religious  custom 
among  the  Israelites  which  fixes  the  majority  of  a 
man  at  the  age  of  thirteen,  when  the  youth  enters 
society  and  enjoys  the  full  privileges  of  his  elders. 
His  marriage  at  this  age  is  considered  absolutely 
legal  and  indispensable,  even,  in  warm  countries. 
In  Europe,  however,  this  custom  has  fallen  into 
desuetude  and  lost  its  importance,  owing  to  local 
laws,  as  well  as  to  the  laws  of  nature,  which  do 
not  hasten  physical  development  to  the  same 
degree  as  in  warmer  countries. 

His  royal  origin,  his  rare  intelligence,  and  the 
extensive  studies  to  which  he  had  applied  himself, 
caused  him  to  be  looked  upon  as  an  excellent 
suitor,  and  the  most  noble  and  rich  sought  him  as 
a  son-in-law.  So  the  Israelites  of  our  days  seek 
the  honor  of  marrying  their  daughters  to  the  son 
of  a  rabbi  or  a  learned  man.  But  the  studious 
youth,  seemingly  detached  from  all  things  cor- 
poral and  devoured  by  a  thirst  for  knowledge, 
stealthily  left  his  father's  house  and  fled  to  India 
with  a  departing  caravan. 

It  is  to  be  supposed  that  Jesus  Christ  chose 

India,   first,   because  Egypt  made  part   of   the 
11 


162  UNKNOWN   LIFE    OF  CHEIST. 

Roman  possessions  at  that  period,  and  then 
because  an  active  trade  with  India  had  spread 
marvelous  reports  in  regard  to  the  majestic 
character  and  inconceivable  riches  of  art  and 
science  in  that  wonderful  country,  where  the 
aspirations  of  civilized  nations  still  tend  in  our 
own  age. 

Here  the  Evangelists  again  lose  the  thread  of 
the  terrestrial  life  of  Jesus.  St.  Luke  says:  ''He 
was  in  the  desert  till  the  day  of  his  shewing  unto 
Israel,"  which  conclusively  proves  that  no  one 
knew  where  the  young  man  had  gone,  to  so  sud- 
denly reappear  sixteen  years  later. 

Once  in  India,  the  country  of  marvels,  Jesus 
began  by  frequenting  the  temples  of  the  Djainites. 

There  still  exists  in  the  peninsula  of  Hindoo- 
stan  a  sect  which  bears  the  name  of  Djainism;  it 
forms  a  link,  as  it  were,  between  Buddhism  and 
Brahmanism,  and  preaches  the  destruction  of  all 
other  beliefs,  which  they  declare  to  be  steeped  in 
error.  It  dates  back  to  the  seventh  century  before 
Christ,  and  its  name  is  derived  from  the  word 
''djaine"  (conquering),  which  it  assumes  as  a 
symbol  of  its  triumph  over  its  rivals. 

Amazed  at  the  young  man's  wonderful  intellect, 
the  Djainites  begged  him  to  remain  in  their  midst; 
but  Jesus  left  them  to  settle  at  Juggernaut,  one 
of   the  principal  cities  of  the  Brahmans,   and 


EPITOME.  163 

enjoying  great  religious  importance  at  the  time 
of  Christ,  where  he  devoted  himself  to  the  study 
of  treatises  on  religion,  philosophy,  etc.  A 
cherished  tradition  claims  that  the  ashes  of  the 
'  illustrious  Brahman  Krichna  are  preserved  here 
in  the  hollow  of  a  tree  near  a  magnificent  temple 
visited  by  thousands  every  year.  Krichna  is 
supposed  to  have  lived  1580  before  Christ,  and  it 
was  he  who  gathered  and  arranged  the  Vedas, 
dividing  the  work  into  four  books:  Richt,  Jagour, 
Saman,  and  Artafan.  This  celebrated  Brahman, 
who  in  recognition  of  this  work  received  the  name 
of  Viassa  (he  who  has  gathered  and  divided  tlie 
Vedas),  also  compiled  the  Vedantha  and  eighteen 
Pouranas,  composed  of  four  hundred  thousand 
strophes. 

A  library,  rich  in  Sanscrit  books  and  precious 
religious  manuscripts,  is  also  found  at  Jugger- 
naut. 

Jesus  spent  six  years  at  this  place,  studying 
the  language  of  the  country  and  the  Sanscrit 
tongue,  which  enabled  him  to  dive  deeply  into  all 
religious  doctrines,  philosophy,  medicine,  and 
mathematics.  He  found  much  to  condemn  in 
Brahman  laws  and  customs,  and  entered  into 
public  debates  with  the  Brahmans,  who  strove  to 
convince  him  of  the  sacred  character  of  their 
established  customs.    Among  other  things,  Jesus 


164  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF   CHRIST. 

particularly  censured  the  injustice  of  humiliating 
the  laborer,  and  of  not  only  depriving  him  of  the 
benefits  to  come,  but  also  of  contesting  his  right 
to  hear  religious  readings.  And  Jesus  began  to 
preach  to  the  Soudras,  the  lowest  caste  of  slaves, 
saying  that  God  is  one,  according  to  their  own 
laws,  that  all  that  is,  exists  through  him,  that  all 
are  equal  in  his  sight,  and  that  the  Brahmans  had 
obscured  the  great  principle  of  monotheism  in 
perverting  the  words  of  Brahma  himself  and 
insisting  to  excess  on  the  exterior  ceremonies  of 
the  religion. 

These  are  the  terms,  according  to  the  Brahman 
doctrine,  in  which  God  speaks  of  himself  to  the 
angels:  ''I  have  been  since  all  eternity  and  shall 
be  eternally.  I  am  the  first  cause  of  all  that 
exists  in  the  East  and  in  the  West,  in  the  North 
and  in  the  South,  above  and  below,  in  heaven  and 
in  hell.  I  am  older  than  all  things.  I  am  the 
Spirit  and  the  creation  of  the  universe  and  its 
creator.  I  am  all-mighty,  I  am  the  God  of  gods, 
the  King  of  kings;  I  am  Para-Brahma,  the  great 
soul  of  the  universe." 

After  the  world  had  appeared  by  the  mere  wish 
of  Para-Brahma,  God  created  men,  whom  he 
divided  into  four  classes,  according  to  their  color: 
white  (Brahmans),  red  (Kshatriyas),  yellow 
(Vaisyas),  and  black  ( Soudras ).    Brahma  drew 


EPITOME.  165 

the  first  from  his  own  mouth,  and  gave  them  as 
their  portion  tlie  government  of  the  world,  the 
teaching  of  the  laws  to  men,  and  the  power  to 
heal  and  judge  them.  The  Brahman  alone,  there- 
fore, occupy  the  position  of  priests,  and  the 
preachers,  or  commentators  of  the  Vedas  only, 
must  adopt  celibacy. 

The  second  caste,  the  Kshatriyas,  came  from 
the  hand  of  Brahma.  These  he  made  warriors, 
intrusting  them  with  the  mission  of  defending 
and  protecting  society.  The  kings,  princely 
rulers,  governors,  and  troops,  belong  to  this  caste, 
which  enjoys  relations  of  the  greatest  cordiality 
with  the  Brahmans,  because  one  can  not  exist 
without  the  other;  and  the  peace  of  the  country 
depends  on  the  alliance  of  the  sword  and  the 
light,  of  the  temple  of  Brahma,  and  the  royal 
throne. 

The  Vaisyas,  who  compose  the  third  caste, 
were  drawn  by  Brahma  from  his  own  entrails. 
They  are  destined  to  the  plowing  of  the  fields 
and  the  breeding  of  animals,  to  the  exercise  of  all 
kinds  of  trades  and  commerce,  that  they  may 
support  the  Brahmans  and  Kshatriyas.  They  are 
authorized  to  enter  the  temple  and  listen  to  the 
reading  of  the  Vedas  on  feast  days  only,  being 
obliged  to  remain  at  their  business  affairs  on  all 
other  occasions. 


166  UNKNOWN    LIFE   OF   CHRIST. 

The  lowest  caste,  the  blacks  or  Soudras,  came 
from  the  feet  of  Brahma  to  be  the  humble  ser- 
vants and  slaves  of  the  three  first  castes.  They 
are  forbidden  to  attend  the  reading  of  the  Vedas; 
and  to  come  in  contact  with  them  means  contam- 
ination. They  are  wretched  beings,  robbed  of  all 
human  rights,  not  daring  to  even  gaze  at  the 
members  of  the  superior  castes,  or  defend  them- 
selves, and,  in  case  of  sickness,  deprived  of  the 
care  of  a  physician. 

Death  alone  can  free  them  from  the  conse- 
quences of  their  life  of  servitude;  but  to  obtain 
this  reward  they  must,  during  their  entire  life, 
cheerfully  and  faithfully  serve  a  member  of  one 
of  the  privileged  classes.  Then  only,  after  hav- 
ing performed  these  functions  with  excessive  zeal 
and  fidelity  in  the  service  of  a  Brahman  or 
a  Kshatriya,  can  the  Soudra  entertain  the  hope 
that,  after  death,  his  soul  shall  be  elevated  to  a 
superior  caste. 

Should  a  Soudra  be  found  wanting  in  respect 
toward  a  member  of  the  privileged  classes,  or 
otherwise  merit  disgrace,  he  is  expelled  from  his 
caste,  degraded  to  the  rank  of  a  pariah,  and  ban- 
ished from  cities  and  villages;  he  becomes  an 
object  of  universal  contempt,  considered  as  an 
abject  creature,  and  permitted  to  perform  only 
the  basest  and  most  menial  labor. 


EPITOME.  167 

The  same  punishment  may,  it  is  true,  be 
inflicted  upon  a  member  of  any  other  caste;  but 
by  dint  of  repentance,  of  fastings  and  privations, 
the  latter  may  in  time  regain  their  former  rank, 
■  while  the  wretched  Soudra  is  forever  lost  if  once 
expelled  from  his  caste. 

It  is  therefore  easy  to  understand  the  venera- 
tion of  the  Vaisyas  and  the  Soudras  for  Jesus, 
who,  notwithstanding  the  threats  of  the  Brah- 
mans,  never  abandoned  them. 

In  his  sermons,  Jesus  not  only  inveighed  against 
the  injustice  of  depriving  a  man  of  his  right  to  be 
considered  as  such,  while  a  monkey,  or  a  piece 
of  marble  and  metal  was  worshiped,  but  also 
denounced  the  main  principle  of  Brahmanism,  its 
system  of  gods,  its  doctrine,  and  its  trimourti 
(trinity),  the  keystone  of  this  religion. 

Para-Brahma  is  represented  with  three  faces  on 
one  single  head:  This  is  the  trimourti  (trinity), 
composed  of  Brahma  (the  creator),  Vischnou  (the 
preserver),  and  Siva  (the  destroyer). 

The  origin  of  the  trimourti  is  as  follows: 

In  the  beginning,  Para-Brahma  created  the 
waters  and  cast  upon  them  the  generating  seed, 
which  was  transformed  into  a  dazzling  egg  reflect- 
ing the  image  of  Brahma.  Millions  of  centuries 
later,  Brahma  divided  this  egg  into  two  parts,  the 
upper  half  of   which  became  heaven  and  the 


168  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF   CHRIST. 

lower  half  the  earth.  This  done,  Brahma  came 
down  upon  this  earth  in  the  appearance  of  a 
child,  placed  himself  on  a  lotus  flower,  withdrew 
within  himself  and  propounded  this  question: 
' '  Who  shall  watch  over  the  preservation  of  what 
I  have  created? "  The  answer  came  from  his  own 
mouth  as  flame:  ''I,"  and  Brahma  gave  this 
word  the  name  of  Vischnou,  which  signifies, 
''he  who  preserves."  Brahma  then  divided  his 
being  into  two  halves,  one  male  and  the  other 
female,  the  active  world  and  the  passive  world, 
the  union  of  which  brought  forth  Siva,  "the 
destroyer." 

The  attributes  of  the  trimourti  are:  Brahma, 
the  creator  being;  Vischnou,  the  preserving  wis- 
dom; Siva,  the  destructive  wrath  of  justice. 
Brahma  is  the  substance  from  which  all  things 
are  made;  Vischnou,  the  space  in  which  every- 
thing lives;  and  Siva,  time  which  destroys  all 
things. 

Brahma  is  the  face  that  animates  everything; 
Vischnou,  the  water  that  sustains  the  strength  oi 
creatures;  Siva,  the  fire  that  breaks  the  links  that 
unite  objects.  Brahma  is  the  past,  Vischnou  the 
present,  and  Siva  the  future.  Each  part  of  the 
trimourti,  moreover,  possesses  a  wife:  That  of 
Brahma  is  Saras vati,  goddess  of  wisdom;  that  of 
Vischnou  is  called  Lackmi,  goddess  of    virtue; 


EPITOME.  169 

and  Siva  is  married  to  Kali,  goddess  of  death,  the 
universal  destroyer. 

From  this  last  union  was  born  the  wise  god, 
Ganega,  and  Indra,  chief  of  the  inferior  divinities, 
the  number  of  which,  including  all  objects  of 
adoration  belonging  to  the  Hindoos,  comes  to 
three  hundred  millions. 

Vischnou  came  down  upon  earth  eight  times, 
incarnating  himself  first  in  a  fish,  to  save  the 
sacred  books  from  the  deluge,  then  successively 
in  a  turtle,  a  dwarf,  a  wild  boar,  a  lion,  later  in 
Rama  —  who  was  a  king's  son  —  in  Krichna,  and 
finally  in  Buddha.  He  will  come  a  ninth  time 
under  the  form  of  a  cavalier  mounted  on  a  white 
horse,  to  destroy  death  and  sin. 

Jesus  denied  the  existence  of  all  these  hie- 
rarchal  absurdities  of  gods  which  obscured  the 
great  principle  of  monotheism. 

Seeing  that  the  people  were  beginning  to 
embrace  the  doctrines  of  Jesus,  whom  they  had 
hoped  to  gain  on  their  side,  and  who  was  now 
their  adversary,  the  Brahmans  resolved  to  assassi- 
nate him ;  but  being  warned  in  time  by  his  devoted 
servants,  he  fled  and  took  refuge  in  the  mountains 
of  Nepal. 

Buddhism  had  already  taken  deep  root  in  this 
country  at  that  period.  This  schism  was 
remarkable  for  its  moral  principles  and  ideas  on 


170  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF   CHRIST. 

the  nature  of  the  divinity,  which  brought  man 
and  nature,  and  men  among  themselves,  nearer 
together. 

The  founder  of  the  sect,  Cakya-Mouni,  was  born 
fifteen  hundred  years  before  Christ  at  Kapila,  the 
capital  of  his  father's  kingdom,  near  Nepal  in  the 
Himalayas.  He  belonged  to  the  Gothamide  race 
and  to  the  ancient  family  of  Cakyas.  He  evinced 
a  strong  attachment  to  religion  from  childhood, 
and,  notwithstanding  his  father's  objections  and 
disapproval,  left  the  palace  in  which  he  lived  with 
all  its  luxuries.  He  immediately  began  to  preach 
against  the  Brahmans,  meanwhile  purifying  their 
doctrine.  He  died  at  Koucinagara,  surrounded 
by  many  of  his  faithful  disciples.  His  body  was 
burned,  and  his  ashes  distributed  among  the 
cities  in  which  his  new  doctrine  had  replaced 
Brahmanism. 

According  to  the  Buddhist  doctrine,  the  Cre- 
ator always  remains  in  a  state  of  absolute  inac- 
tion which  nothing  can  disturb,  and  from  which 
he  arouses  only  at  certain  epochs  determined  by 
fate,  in  order  to  create  terrestrial  Buddhas.  To 
this  end,  the  Spirit  is  detached  from  the  sover- 
eign Creator  and  incarnated  in  a  Buddha,  in 
whom  it  dwells  for  some  time  on  earth,  where  it 
creates  buddhissatwas  (masters)  whose  mission 
it  is  to  preach  the  divine  word  and  found  new 


EPITOME.  171 

churches  of  believers,  to  whom  they  shall  give 
laws  and  for  whom  they  will  institute  a  new 
religious  order  according  to  the  traditions  of 
Buddhism. 

A  terrestrial  Buddha  is,  in  some  sort,  a  reflec- 
tion of  the  sovereign  Creator  Buddha,  to  whom 
he  again  unites  himself  after  the  termination  of 
his  existence  on  earth;  so  it  is  with  the  Buddhis- 
satwas  who,  as  a  reward  for  their  works  and  the 
privations  they  have  endured  here  below,  receive 
eternal  beatitude  and  enjoy  a  repose  nothing  can 
disturb. 

Jesus  spent  six  years  among  the  Buddhists, 
where  he  found  the  principle  of  monotheism  still 
in  its  purity.  Having  attained  the  age  of  twenty- 
six  years  he  bethought  himself  of  his  native 
country,  which  labored  under  a  foreign  yoke. 
He  therefore  resolved  to  return  there.  While 
journeying  thither  he  continued  to  preach  against 
idolatry,  human  sacrifices,  and  religious  errors, 
exhorting  the  people  to  acknowledge  and  adore 
God,  the  father  of  all  creatures  whom  he  cher- 
ishes equally,  the  masters  as  well  as  the  slaves, 
for  they  are  all  his  children,  to  whom  he  has 
given  his  beautiful  universe  as  a  common  inherit- 
ance. The  sermons  of  Jesus  often  produced  a 
deep  impression  upon  the  nations  he  visited, 
where  he  braved  many  dangers  instigated  by  the 


172  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OP  CHRIST. 

priests,  but  was  as  often  protected  by  the  idol- 
aters, who,  only  the  day  before,  had  sacrificed 
their  children  to  the  idols. 

While  crossing  Persia,  Jesus  almost  caused  an 
uprising  among  the  followers  of  the  doctrine  of 
Zoroaster.  Fearing  the  vengeance  of  the  people, 
however,  the  priests  dared  not  assassinate  him, 
but  had  recourse  to  a  ruse  instead,  and  drove 
him  from  the  town  during  the  night,  hoping  he 
might  be  devoured  by  wild  beasts.  But  Jesus 
escaped  this  peril  and  arrived  safe  and  sound  in 
the  land  of  Israel. 

It  must  be  here  remarked  that  the  Orientals,  in 
the  midst  of  their  picturesque  wretchedness  and 
the  ocean  of  depravity  in  which  they  have  sunk, 
under  the  continued  influence  of  their  priests  and 
preceptors,  possess  nevertheless  a  most  pro- 
nounced predilection  for  instruction  and  readily 
understand  properly  applied  explanations.  More 
than  once,  by  the  aid  of  some  simple  words  of 
truth,  I  have  successfully  appealed  to  the  con- 
science of  a  thief  or  an  unruly  servant.  These 
people,  moved  by  a  sentiment  of  innate  honesty, 
which  the  clergy,  to  further  their  own  personal 
ends,  endeavor  by  all  possible  means  to  stifle  — 
these  people,  I  repeat,  are  very  quick  to  learn  the 
principles  of  honesty,  and  exhibit  the  greatest 
contempt  for  those  who  have  abused  them. 


EPITOME.  173 

By  virtue  of  a  single  word  of  truth,  it  is 
possible  to  make  of  all  India,  with  its  three  hun- 
dred millions  of  idols,  a  vast  Christian  country; 
but  —  this  beautiful  project  would  undoubtedly 
be  prejudicial  to  certain  Christians,  who,  like  the 
aforesaid  priests,  speculate  on  the  ignorance  of 
the  masses  to  enrich  themselves. 

Saint  Luke  says  that:  "  Jesus  was  about  thirty 
years  of  age  when  he  began  to  exercise  his  min- 
istry." According  to  the  Buddhist  chronicler 
Jesus  would  have  commenced  to  preach  in  his 
twenty-ninth  year.  All  his  sermons,  which  the 
Evangelists  do  not  mention  and  which  have  been 
preserved  by  the  Buddhists,  are  remarkable  for 
their  character  of  divine  grandeur.  The  fame  of 
the  new  preacher  spread  rapidly  through  the 
country,  and  Jerusalem  impatiently  awaited  his 
coming.  When  he  drew  near  to  the  holy  city,  all 
the  inhabitants  went  forth  to  meet  him  and  con- 
ducted him  in  triumph  to  the  temple,  which  is  in 
conformity  with  the  Christian  tradition.  The 
chiefs  and  the  learned  men  who  listened,  admired 
his  sermons  and  rejoiced  at  the  beneficent  impres- 
sion produced  on  the  multitude  by  the  words  of 
Jesus.  All  the  remarkable  sermons  of  Jesus  are 
filled  with  sublime  words. 

But  Pilate,  Governor  of  the  country,  did  not 
see  the  matter  in  the  same  light    Zealous  agents 


174  UNKNOWN  LIFE  OF  CHRIST. 

reported  to  him  that  Jesus  announced  the  near 
approach  of  a  new  kingdom,  the  re-establish- 
ment of  the  throne  of  Israel,  and  that  he  called 
himself  the  Son  of  God,  sent  to  revive  the  cour- 
age of  Israel,  for  he.  King  of  Judea,  would  soon 
ascend  the  throne  of  his  ancestors. 

I  have  no  wish  to  attribute  to  Jesus  the  role  of 
revolutionist,  but,  to  me,  it  seems  very  probable 
that  he  labored  with  the  people  with  a  view  of 
re-establishing  the  throne  that  was  his  by  right  of 
inheritance.  Divinely  inspired,  and  at  the  same 
time  fully  convinced  that  his  pretensions  were 
legitimate,  Jesus  therefore  preached  the  spiritual 
union  of  the  people  that  a  political  union  might 
result. 

Alarmed  at  these  rumors,  Pilate  assembled  the 
learned  men  and  the  elders  of  the  people,  charg- 
ing them  to  interdict  Jesus  from  public  preaching 
and  condemn  him  in  the  temple  under  the  accusa- 
tion of  apostacy.  This  was  the  easiest  way  of 
ridding  himself  of  a  dangerous  man  whose  royal 
origin  was  known  to  Pilate,  and  whose  fame  was 
growing  among  the  people. 

It  must  be  remarked  on  this  subject,  that  far 
from  persecuting  Jesus,  the  Israelites,  recognizing 
in  him  the  descendant  of  the  illustrious  dynasty 
of  David,  made  him  the  object  of  their  secret 
hopes,  as  is  proved  by  the  scripture,  which  relates 


EPITOME.  175 

that  Jesus  preached  openly  in  the  temple  in  the 
presence  of  the  elders,  who  had  the  power  to  pro- 
hibit him,  not  only  access  to  the  temple,  but  even 
of  preaching  in  public. 

At  Pilate's  order,  the  Sanhedrim  assembled  and 
cited  Jesus  to  appear  before  its  tribunal.  At  the 
conclusion  of  the  inquest,  the  members  of  the 
Sanhedrim  announced  to  Pilate  that  his  suspicions 
were  groundless,  that  Jesus  was  propagating  reli- 
gious truths,  and  not  political  ideas;  that  he 
preached  the  divine  word,  and  that,  furthermore, 
he  claimed  to  have  come,  not  to  overthrow,  but  to 
re-establish  the  laws  of  Moses.  The  Buddhist 
chronicle  only  tends  to  confirm  this  sympathy 
which  indubitably  existed  between  Jesus,  the 
young  preacher,  and  the  elders  of  the  people  of 
Israel;  hence  their  response:  ^' We  do  not  judge 
a  just  man." 

Pilate  was  not  reassured,  however,  and  sought 
another  opportunity  of  summoning  Jesus  before  a 
regular  tribunal;  to  this  end,  he  sent  many  spies 
to  watch  him,  and  he  was  at  length  apprehended. 

According  to  the  Evangelists,  it  was  the  Phar- 
isees and  the  Hebrews  who  sought  to  put  Jesus 
to  death,  while  the  Buddhist  chronicler  positively 
declares  that  Pilate  alone  must  be  held  respon- 
sible. This  version  is  evidently  much  more 
likely  than  the  account  given  by  the  Evangelists; 


178  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF  CHRIST. 

the  conquerors  of  Judea  being  unable  to  long 
tolerate  the  presence  of  a  man  who  announced  to 
the  people  their  near  deliverance  from  the  foreign 
yoke.  The  popularity  of  Jesus  having  proved 
disquieting  to  Pilate,  it  was  but  natural  that  he 
should  dispatch  spies  with  instructions  to  watch 
every  word  and  action  of  the  young  preacher.  In 
their  character  of  inciting  agents,  these  spies 
endeavored,  by  propounding  embarrassing  ques- 
tions to  Jesus,  to  force  him  to  utter  some  impru- 
dent words  that  might  permit  Pilate  to  proceed 
against  him.  Had  Jesus'  preaching  displeased 
the  wise  men  and  Hebrew  priests,  they  would 
simply  have  ordered  the  people  not  to  listen  to 
him  or  follow  him,  and  have  interdicted  him 
entering  the  temple.  The  Evangelists,  however, 
relate  that  Jesus  enjoyed  great  freedom  among 
the  Israelites  and  in  the  temple,  where  Pharisees 
and  learned  men  conversed  with  him. 

That  he  might  succeed  in  condemning  him, 
Pilate  submitted  him  to  inquisition,  hoping  to 
drive  him  to  an  avowal  of  high  treason. 

Seeing  that  tortures  did  not  bring  about  the 
desired  result,  and  that,  unlike  other  innocent 
persons  put  to  the  same  suffering  and  agony, 
Jesus  did  not  falter  and  accuse  himself,  Pilate 
commanded  his  servants  to  proceed  to  the  utmost 
cruelty,  that  his  death  might  be  brought  about  by 


EPITOME.  177 

exhaustion.  Jesus,  however,  finding  a  source  of 
strength  and  courage  in  his  own  will  and  in  his 
confidence  in  his  cause,  which  was  that  of  the 
nation  and  of  Grod  himself,  opposed  an  unflinch- 
ing endurance  to  all  the  refinements  of  cruelty 
received  at  the  hands  of  his  torturers. 

Jesus  having  undergone  the  secret  inquisition, 
the  elders  were  much  displeased  thereat;  they 
therefore  resolved  to  intercede  in  his  favor  and 
ask  that  he  be  set  at  liberty  before  the  feast  of 
the  Passover. 

Foiled  in  the  object  of  their  demand  by  Pilate, 
they  determined  to  insist  upon  having  him 
brought  before  the  tribunal,  so  certain  were  they 
of  his  acquittal,  which  seemed  fully  assured  since 
the  entire  people  ardently  desired  it. 

In  the  eyes  of  the  priests,  Jesus  was  a  saint 
belonging  to  the  house  of  David,  and  his  unjust 
detention,  or  what  was  still  more  grave,  his  con- 
demnation, would  cast  a  deep  gloom  upon  the  sol- 
emnity of  the  great  national  feast  of  the  Israelites. 

On  learning  of  the  refusal  of  their  demand, 
they  begged  that  the  trial  should  take  place 
before  the  feast.  This  time  Pilate  acceded  to 
their  wishes,  but  also  ordered  that  two  thieves 
should  be  tried  at  the  same  time.  By  this  means 
Pilate  strove  to  belittle,  in  the  eyes  of  the  peoiDle, 
the  importance  that  might  be  attached  to  a  judg- 

12 


178  UNKNOWN  LIFE  OF  CHRIST. 

ment  rendered  against  an  innocent  man  if  he 
were  tried  alone,  thus  leaving  the  nation  under 
the  sad  impression  of  a  verdict  dictated  before- 
hand; while,  on  the  contrary,  the  simultaneous 
condemnation  of  Jesus  and  the  two  thieves  would 
almost  efface  the  injustice  committed  against  one 
of  the  accused. 

The  accusation  was  based  upon  the  depositions 
of  hired  witnesses. 

During  the  trial,  Pilate  used  the  words  of 
Jesus,  who  preached  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven,  to 
justify  the  accusation  against  him.  He  counted, 
it  would  seem,  upon  the  effect  produced  by  the 
replies  of  Jesus,  as  well  as  on  his  own  personal 
authority  to  influence  the  members  of  the  tri- 
bunal to  not  examine  too  minutely  the  details  of 
the  case  before  them  to  obtain  the  desired  verdict. 

After  hearing  the  perfectly  natural  reply  of 
the  judges,  that  the  words  of  Jesus  only  proved 
a  sentiment  diametrically  opposed  to  the  accusa- 
tion, and  that  he  could  not  be  condemned  thereon, 
Pilate  had  recourse  to  the  only  means  left  him, 
that  is,  to  the  deposition  of  an  informer,  who,  in 
the  Governor's  judgment,  could  not  fail  to  pro- 
duce a  deep  impression  on  the  judges.  The 
wretch,  who  was  none  other  than  Judas,  then 
formally  accused  Jesus  of  having  incited  the 
people  to  rebellion. 


EPITOME.  179 

Then  followed  a  scene  of  the  grandest  sublim- 
ity. While  Judas  gave  utterance  to  his  testi- 
mony, Jesus  turned  to  him,  and,  having  blessed 
him,  said:  "Thou  shalt  be  forgiven,  for  what 
thou  sayest  Cometh  not  of  thee."  Then  turning 
to  the  Governor,  he  continued:  "  Why  lower  thy 
dignity  and  teach  thy  inferiors  to  live  in  false- 
hood, since,  even  without  this,  thou  hast  the 
power  to  condemn  an  innocent  man  ? " 

Touching  and  sublime  words!  Jesus  Christ 
manifests  himself  in  all  his  grandeur,  first  in 
showing  the  informer  that  he  has  sold  his  con- 
science, then  in  forgiving  him;  turning  next  to 
Pilate,  he  censured  him  for  having  recourse  to 
proceedings  so  degrading  to  his  dignity  to  obtain 
his  condemnation. 

The  accusation  brought  by  Jesus  against  Pilate, 
caused  the  latter  to  completely  forget  his  position 
and  the  prudence  he  should  display;  he  therefore 
imperiously  demanded  the  condemnation  of  Jesus 
at  the  hands  of  the  judges,  and,  as  if  to  assert  the 
unlimited  power  he  enjoyed,  the  acquittal  of  the 
two  thieves. 

Finding  this  demand  to  discharge  the  two 
thieves  and  condemn  Jesus,  though  innocent,  too 
unjust  to  comply  with,  the  judges  refused  to  com- 
mit this  double  crime  against  their  conscience 
and  their  laws;  but  being  too  weak  to  struggle 


180  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF   CHRIST. 

against  a  man  who  had  the  power  to  give  a  final 
verdict,  and  seeing  him  determined  to  rid  himself 
of  a  person  who  rivaled  the  Roman  authorities, 
they  left  him  to  pronounce  the  judgment  he  so 
ardently  desired.  That  they  might  not  be  cen- 
sured by  the  people,  who  could  not  have  forgiven 
so  unjust  a  judgment,  they  washed  their  hands 
as  they  came  out  of  the  tribunal  chamber,  show- 
ing thereby  that  they  were  innocent  of  the  death 
of  Jesus,  whom  the  multitude  adored. 

About  ten  years  ago  I  read  an  article  on  Judas 
in  a  German  journal,  the  Fremdenblatt^  in  which 
the  author  endeavored  to  show  that  the  informer 
had  been  Jesus'  best  friend.  It  would  seem  that 
it  was  through  love  for  his  master  that  Judas 
betrayed  him,  in  his  blind  belief  in  the  words  of 
the  Savior,  who  said  that  his  kingdom  would 
come  after  his  crucifixion.  But  when  he  beheld 
him  on  the  cross,  after  vainly  awaiting  his  imme- 
diate resurrection,  Judas  found  himself  incapable 
of  bearing  his  remorse  and  hanged  himself. 

It  is  useless  to  elaborate  on  this  lucubration, 
which  is  certainly  original. 

But  to  return  to  the  scriptural  narrative  and 
the  Buddhist  chronicle,  it  seems  quite  probable 
that  the  hired  informer  may  have  been  Judas, 
although  the  Buddhist  version  is  silent  on  this 
point.    As  to  the  theory  that  remorse  of  con- 


EPITOME.  181 

science  drove  the  informer  to  the  taking  of  his 
own  life,  I  place  little  credence  in  it.  A  man 
capable  of  committing  an  act  of  such  cowardice 
and  of  bringing  against  any  one  of  his  fellow-men 
an  accusation  so  notoriously  false,  and  that,  not 
from  a  spirit  of  envy  or  revenge,  but  for  a  mere 
handful  of  silver,  such  a  man,  I  repeat,  is  psycho- 
logically worthless.  He  is  ignorant  of  all  idea 
of  honesty  or  conscience,  and  remorse  is  unknown 
to  him. 

It  is  to  be  presumed  that  the  Governor  took 
this  matter  into  his  own  hands,  as  is  sometimes 
done  in  our  days,  when  it  is  imperative  to  keep 
from  the  people  a  grave  and  compromising  secret 
which  such  a  man  might  easily  betray  without 
heeding  the  consequences.  Judas  was  no  doubt 
hanged  forthwith  to  prevent  him  from  ever 
revealing  that  the  testimony  on  which  Jesus  was 
condemned  emanated  from  the  Governor  himself. 

On  the  day  of  the  crucifixion,  a  large  body  of 
Roman  soldiers  was  stationed  about  the  cross  to 
prevent  the  people  from  rescuing  the  object  of 
their  worship.  In  this  circumstance,  Pilate  dis- 
played extraordinary  firmness  and  resolution. 
But  though,  owing  to  his  precautions,  an  upris- 
ing was  averted,  he  could  not  prevent  the  people 
from  weeping  over  the  downfall  of  their  hopes, 
which  died  with  the  last  descendant  of  the  house 


182  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF   CHRIST. 

of  David.  The  entire  population  went  to  adore 
tlie  tomb  of  Jesus,  and  though  we  have  no  pre- 
cise details  of  the  first  days  after  the  Passion,  we 
may  easily  imagine  the  scenes  that  must  have 
taken  place.  It  is  only  reasonable  to  suppose 
that  the  prudent  lieutenant  of  the  Koman  Csesar, 
seeing  that  the  tomb  of  Jesus  was  becoming  a 
shrine  of  universal  lamentations  and  the  object  of 
national  mourning,  and  fearing  that  the  memory 
of  this  just  man  might  excite  discontent  and  per- 
haps arouse  the  entire  population  against  their 
foreign  yoke,  should  have  taken  all  possible 
means  to  divert  the  public  mind  from  the  recol- 
lection of  Jesus.  For  three  days,  the  soldiers 
placed  on  guard  at  the  tomb  were  the  butt  of  the 
jeers  and  maledictions  of  the  people,  who,  brav- 
ing the  danger,  came  in  throngs  to  adore  the 
great  martyr.  Pilate  therefore  ordered  his  sol- 
diers to  remove  the  body  during  the  night,  when 
the  pilgrimages  had  ceased,  and  inter  it  clandes- 
tinely in  another  place,  leaving  the  first  tomb 
open  and  unguarded,  that  the  people  might  see 
that  Jesus  had  disappeared. 

But  Pilate  failed  to  accomplish  this  end;  for, 
on  the  following  day,  not  finding  the  body  of 
their  master  in  the  sepulcher,  the  Hebrews,  who 
were  very  superstitious  and  believed  in  miracles, 
declared  him  resuscitated. 


EPITOME.  183 

How  this  legend  came  to  be  generally  accepted, 
we  know  not.  It  may  have  existed  for  a  long 
time  in  a  latent  state  and  been  first  spread 
among  the  lower  classes;  or,  perhaps,  the  Hebrew 
ecclesiastics  looked  with  indulgence  upon  this 
innocent  belief  which  gave  to  the  oppressed  a 
shadow  of  revenge  against  their  oppressors. 
However  this  may  be,  since  the  day  this  legend 
of  the  resurrection  became  known  to  all,  no  one 
has  had  the  strength  of  miiid  to  point  out  the 
impossibility  of  it. 

As  concerns  the  resurrection  itself,  it  must  be 
remarked  that,  according  to  the  Buddhists,  the 
soul  of  the  just  man  was  united  to  the  Eternal 
Being,  while  the  Evangelists  strongly  insist 
upon  the  ascension  of  the  body.  It  nevertheless 
seems  to  me,  that  the  Evangelists  and  Apostles 
were  wise  in  giving  a  plastic  description  of  the 
resurrection;  for  otherwise,  that  is  to  say,  had 
the  miracle  been  less  material,  their  sermons 
would  not  have  been  stamped,  in  the  eyes  of  the 
people,  with  that  divine  authority,  that  character 
so  manifestly  divine  which  Christianity  retains 
to  this  day,  as  being  the  only  religion  capable  of 
maintaining  the  people  in  a  state  of  sublime 
enthusiasm,  of  softening  their  savage  instincts, 
and  of  bringing  them  nearer  to  the  great  and 
simple  nature  which  God  has  confided,  it  is  said, 
to  the  feeble  dwarf  called  man. 


EXPLANATORY  NOTES. 

CHAPTER  III. 

§§  3,  4,  5,  7. 

THE  history  of  all  people  shows  that  when  a  nation 
has  attained  the  zenith  of  its  riches  and  military 
glory,  it  almost  immediately  begins  to  slide  more 
or  less  rapidly  down  the  hill  of  decay  and  of  moral 
decline.  The  Israelites  were  the  first  to  undergo  this 
law  of  the  evolution  of  nations;  and  the  neighboring 
countries  took  advantage  of  this  to  attack  the  effem- 
inated and  corrupted  descendants  of  Jacob. 

§8. 

The  country  of  Romeles  —  that  is,  the  land  of  Romu- 
lus, or  Rome,  as  it  is  called  in  our  days. 

§§  11,  12. 

It  is  evident  that  the  Israelites,  notwithstanding  their 
incontestable  genius  and  intelligence,  never  seemed  to 
think  of  the  morrow.  Like  all  other  oriental  nations, 
it  was  only  in  their  days  of  misfortune  that  they  remem- 

(184) 


EXPLANATORY  NOTES.  185 

bered  their  past  sins,  which  they  were  each  time  obliged 
to  redeem  by  centuries  of  slavery. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

§6. 

This  verse,  it  is  readily  seen,  refers  to  Joseph,  who 
was  a  direct  descendant  of  King  David.  This  some- 
what vague  assertion  bears  some  analogy  to  the  follow- 
ing scriptural  verses: 

^^  Behold,  the  angel  of  the  Lord  appeared  unto  him  in 
a  dream,  saying,  Joseph,  thou  son  of  David,  fear  not  to 
take  unto  thee  Mary  thy  wife/^ —  (Gospel  according  to 
St.  Matthew  i,  20.) 

*'  And  the  multitudes  that  went  before,  and  that  fol- 
lowed, cried,  saying,  Hosanna  to  the  son  of  David ! " — 
(Gospel  according  to  St.  Matthew  xxi,  9.) 

^^  To  a  virgin  espoused  to  a  man  whose  name  was 
Joseph,  of  the  house  of  David. ^^ — (Gospel  according  to 
St.  Lukei,  27.) 

^^And  the  Lord  God  shall  give  unto  him  the  throne 
of  his  father  David.^^ — (Gospel  according  to  St.  Luke 
i,  32.) 

'^  And  Jesus  himself  began  to  be  about  thirty  years  of 
age,  being  (as  was  supposed)  the  son  of  Joseph,  which 
was  the  son  of  Heli,  which  was  the  son  of  Nathan, 
which  was  the  son  of  David. ^^ — (Gospel  according  to 
St.  Luke  iii,  23,  24,  25,  26,  27,  28,  29,  30,  31,  etc.) 


186  UNKNOWN  LIFE  OF  CHRIST. 

§7. 

The  Old  and  New  Testaments  teach  us  that  God 
promised  David  that  he  would  regenerate  his  throne  and 
place  one  of  his  descendants  upon  it. 

§§8,9. 

^^And  the  child  grew,  and  waxed  strong  in  spirit, 
filled  with  wisdom;  and  the  grace  of  God  was  upon 
him/^ 

^^And  it  came  to  pass,  that  after  three  days,  they 
found  him  in  the  temple,  sitting  in  the  midst  of  the 
doctors,  both  hearing  them,  and  asking  them  questions/^ 

''  And  all  that  heard  him  were  astonished  at  his  under- 
standing and  answers/^ 

^^  And  he  said  unto  them.  How  is  it  that  ye  sought 
me?  wist  ye  not  that  I  must  be  about  my  Father^s  busi- 
ness? ^^ 

^^  And  Jesus  increased  in  wisdom  and  stature,  and  in 
favour  with  God  and  man/^  (Gospel  according  to  St. 
Lukeii,  40,  46,  47,  49,  52.) 

CHAPTER  V. 

§1. 

^^Sind,^^  a  Sanscrit  word,  modified  by  the  Persians 
into  Ind;  ^^  Arya,^^  ancient  name  of  the  inhabitants  of 
India;  it  first  signified  ^^man  who  ploughs  the  soil,^^  or 


EXPLANATORY   NOTES.  187 

'^ husbandman;'^  in  remote  antiquity  it  possessed  a 
purely  ethnographic  signification;  but  later,  this  appel- 
lation acquired  a  religious  meaning,  principally  that  of 
^^man  who  believes/' 

§2. 

St.  Luke  says  (i,  80):  ^^And  the  child  grew,  and 
waxed  strong  in  spirit,  and  was  in  the  desert  till  the  day 
of  his  shewing  unto  Israel.''  The  Evangelists  say  that 
Jesus  remained  in  the  desert;  the  Buddhists  only  explain 
the  version  of  the  scripture  in  indicating  where  Jesus 
lived  during  his  absence  from  Judea;  according  to  them, 
he  crossed  the  Sind,  a  word  which,  properly  speaking 
means  ^^the  stream"  (the  Indus).  It  is  proper  here  to 
remark  that  many  Sanscrit  words  have,  in  passing  into 
the  Persian  tongue,  undergone  the  same  transformation 
of  ^^s"  into  ^*^h";  as  for  example: 

Sapta  (in  Sanscrit),  which  signifies  seven  —  hafta  (in 
Persian). 

Sam  (in  Sanscrit),  which  signifies  equal  —  ham  (in 
Persian). 

Mas  (in  Sanscrit),  which  signifies  mouth  —  mah  (in 
Persian). 

Sur  (in  Sanscrit),  which  signifies  sun  —  hur  (in 
Persian). 

Das  (in  Sanscrit),  which  signifies  ten  —  dah  (in 
Persian). 

Loco  citato  —  and  they  that  believed  in  the  god 
Djaine. 


188  UNKNOWN   LIFE    OF  CHRIST. 

There  exists,  even  in  our  days,  in  the  Peninsula  of 
Hindoostan,  a  sect  bearing  the  name  of  Djainism;  it 
forms,  as  it  were,  a  link  between  Buddhism  and  Brah- 
manism,  and  preaches  the  destruction  of  all  other  beliefs 
which,  it  is  claimed,  are  impregnated  with  errors.  It 
dates  back  to  the  seventh  century  before  Christ;  its 
name  is  derived  from  the  word  ^^Djaine^'  (conqueror), 
which  it  assumes  as  a  symbol  of  triumph  over  its  rivals. 

§4. 

Each  of  the  eighteen  Pouranas  is  divided  into  five 
parts,  which,  besides  canonical  laws,  rites,  and  com- 
mentaries on  the  creation,  the  destruction,  and  resusci- 
tation of  the  world,  also  treat  of  theogony,  medicine, 
and  of  trades  even. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

§12. 

It  was  only  through  the  intervention  of  the  English 
that  an  end  was  finally  put  to  human  sacrifices,  offered 
principally  to  Kali,  the  goddess  of  death.  The  goddess 
Kali  is  represented  standing,  with  one  foot  placed  on 
the  corpse  of  a  man  whose  head  she  holds  in  one  of  her 
innumerable  hands,  while  in  another  she  grasps  a  bleed- 
ing sword.  The  wide-open  mouth  and  eyes  express 
passion  and  cruelty. 


\ 


EXPLANATORY   NOTES.  189 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

§§  3,  4. 

Zoroaster  lived  five  hundred  and  fifty  years  before 
Jesus  Christ.  He  was  founder  of  the  doctrine  of  the 
struggle  of  light  against  darkness,  a  doctrine  fully 
expounded  in  the  Zend-Avesta  (Word  of  God),  written 
in  the  Zend  tongue,  and  which,  according  to  the  legend, 
was  given  him  by  an  angel  in  Paradise. 

Accoi'ding  to  Zoroaster,  we  should  worship  Mithra 
(the  sun),  from  which  are  descended  the  god  of  good, 
Ormuzd,  and  the  god  of  evil,  Ariman.  The  world  is  to 
come  to  an  end  when  Ormuzd  has  triumphed  over  his 
rival,  Ariman,  who  shall  then  return  to  his  original 
source —  Mithra. 

CHAPTER  X. 

§16. 

According  to  the  Evangelists,  Jesus  was  born  in  Beth- 
lehem, which  confirms  the  Buddhist  version;  for  it  is 
from  Bethlehem  only,  seven  kilometers  from  Jerusalem, 
that  the  walls  of  the  latter  city  can  be  seen. 

CHAPTER  XL 

§15. 
The  doctrine  of  the  Redemptor  is  nearly  all  contained 


190  UNKNOWN   LIFE   OF   CHRIST. 

in  the  Gospels.  As  to  the  transformation  of  men  into 
children,  this  is  explained  in  the  conversation  between 
Jesus  and  Nicodemus. 

CHAPTER  XII. 

§1. 

"  Tell  us,  therefore.  What  thinkest  thou  ?  Is  it  lawful 
to  give  tribute  unto  Caesar,  or  not?^^  (Gospel  according 
to  St.  Matthew  xxii,  17). 

§3. 

Then  Jesus  replied:  ^^ Render  therefore  unto  Caesar 
the  things  which  are  Caesar^s,  and  unto  God  the  things 
that  are  God^s.^^ 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

§3. 

According  to  the  Buddhist  belief,  the  terrestrial  Bud- 
dhas  at  their  death  lose  consciousness  of  their  independ- 
ent existence  and  become  united  to  the  Eternal  Spirit. 

§§  10,  11. 

Reference  is,  no  doubt,  here  made  to  the  apostles  and 
their  activity  among  the  neighboring  nations;  an  activity 
which,   at  that  period,    could  not  pass  unperceived. 


EXPLANATORY   NOTES.  191 

because  of  the  great  results  obtained  by  the  preaching 
of  new  religious  principles  based  on  brotherly  love,  in 
the  midst  of  people  who  professed  religions  founded  on 
the  cruelty  of  their  gods. 

Without  permitting  myself  to  indulge  in  long  disserta- 
tions, or  too  deep  analysis  of  each  verse,  I  thought  it 
only  right  to  accompany  my  work  with  a  few  brief 
explanatory  notes,  leaving  the  reader  to  do  as  much  for 
the  remainder. 


[end.] 


Jfor  3^xo^xt^^iU  people 


The  Great  School,  or  the  School  of  Natural  Science, 
is  the  modern  name  for  that  venerable  School  of  Wisdom 
whose  records  are  the  most  ancient  at  this  time  known 
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In  1883  this  Great  School  established  its  personal 
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Cfje  ilarmonic  Series! 

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and  philosophical  exposition  of  the  following  three  propo- 
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There  Is  No  Death. 

Life  After  Physical  Death  Is  A  Fact  Scientifically 
Demonstrable* 

Life  Here  And  Hereafter  Has  A  Common  Develop- 
ment And  A  Common  Purpose. 

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tlTfje  laealitp  of  iWatter 

During  1894-5  there  appeared  in  "The  Arena'^  mag- 
azine of  Boston,  a  series  of  articles,  over  the  [nameof 
"Heinrich  Hensoldt,  Ph.D." 

The  reply  by  the  TK  to  these  articles,  was  provok- 
ed by  Mr.  Hensoldt  relating  the  marvelous  performances 
of  one  Koomra  Sami  "Adept  of  India''  whom  he  claim- 
ed to  have  visited  in  that  country,  and  while  making  a 
very  good  story,  was  at  the  same  time  a  very  inaccurate 
explanation  of  the  "Adept's''  exhibition  of  occultism. 

The  TK's  personal  and  definite  knowledge  of    occult 
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